In computing, executable code, executable file, or executable program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, causes a computer “to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instruction (computer science) | instructions”, as opposed to a Data (computing) | data file that must be parser | parsed by a program to be meaningful.
The exact interpretation depends upon the use. “Instructions” is traditionally taken to mean machine code instructions for a physical Central processing unit | CPU. In some contexts, a file containing bytecode or scripting language instructions may also be considered executable.