The leading bytes of the header would contain text like GIF87a or GIF89a that can identify the binary as a GIF file.
For example, a GIF file can contain multiple images, and headers are used to identify and describe each block of image data. The header often contains a signature or magic number which can identify the format. Some binary files contain headers, blocks of metadata used by a computer program to interpret the data in the file. – in short, any type of file content whatsoever. But binary files can also mean that they contain images, sounds, compressed versions of other files, etc. Compiled computer programs are typical examples indeed, compiled applications are sometimes referred to, particularly by programmers, as binaries. Binary files typically contain bytes that are intended to be interpreted as something other than text characters. Binary files are usually thought of as being a sequence of bytes, which means the binary digits ( bits) are grouped in eights.
