A file format that combines the three parts of a Macintosh file: the data fork, resource fork, and Finder information block. No other computers understand the normal Macintosh file format, but they can transmit the MacBinary format without losing data. When you download a binary Macintosh file from another computer using the MacBinary format, your communications program automatically reassembles the file into a normal Macintosh file.

An encrypted file type (with a .bin file extension), generally used to protect Macintosh files being sent over the Internet.

A standard for storing resources in a Macintosh's data fork. Also the name of an application that decodes and encodes MacBinary files.

A format for representing a Macintosh file as a single binary file, in order to preserve special Macintosh information that cannot be stored properly on some systems. For more information, see the MacBinary help topic.

communications: A special format for storing Mac programs on other computers. The Mac document or application is converted into a highly specialized form of text for storage on other machines, and then converted from text back into a Macintosh file when transferred back to a Mac. Most telecommunications programs do all this automatically.