[Solved]: Why doesn't my object code/machine code contain 1's and 0's

Problem Detail: 

I know when I compile my C program to machine code it gets compiled into something that specific computer can understand

But I thought computers can only understand 1's and 0's (high/low) so why doesn't my program look like a bunch of strange symbols and not 1's and 0's?

ie: "UHâÂHÉÏHç=7∞Ë1…âE¸â»HɃ]√êˇ%¶LçïASˇ%ÖêhÈÊ"

There must be one last piece I'm missing where these symbols get converted to 1's and 0's somehow

Asked By : MobileMon

Answered By : roscoe_casita

This is a result of the program that opened the file.

All files on the system are in binary. What matters is how you interpret it.

The editor you used has displayed the digits in their common form:

"UH...." is the equivalent hexadecimal "5548...." which is binary "101010101001000...."

Thus you need a Hex or Binary editing program to 'view' the '1's and '0's.

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Question Source : http://cs.stackexchange.com/questions/43013

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