A data file can refer to both binary files and text files, as both types of files are used to store data. The difference between the two lies in how the data is encoded and interpreted:

• Text File: A file that contains human-readable data in a plain text format (e.g., .txt, .csv). Data is stored as characters that can be easily interpreted and read by both humans and machines.

• Binary File: A file that contains data in a format that is not human-readable. It can store any kind of data (e.g., images, videos, executable files) in binary format (e.g., .jpg, .exe, .mp3). The data is represented in 0s and 1s and typically requires specific software or tools to interpret.