Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Executable file
Also known as: Executable, Binary
German: Ausführbare Datei
In computing, an executable file is a file containing a program in a form that a computer, runtime or controller can load and run directly, such as machine code in an operating system format like ELF or PE, or a compiled application image for a controller.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
An executable file contains a program in a form a computer, runtime or controller can load and run directly.
Example
The build produces an ELF executable for the drive's processor, which the service tool packages together with parameters into a firmware update file.
How it applies
- Engineering: The Linker combines compiled object files and libraries into an executable for a specific platform. For controllers, the equivalent is often a compiled application or boot project downloaded by the engineering tool.
- Security: Executables are a target for tampering. Code signing, integrity checks and secure boot let devices verify that only authorized executables run.
- Documentation: Identify each released executable by version and checksum or signature, and link it to its source revision and build. Service documentation should describe how to check which executable is running on a device.
Executable vs. source code
Source code is readable and editable by developers; an executable is the machine-readable result of building it. Machines in the field run executables, so the link between an executable and the exact source that produced it must be preserved for maintenance and fault analysis.