Difference between .bat and .exe files: What you need to know

You need the abbreviations .bat and .exe to execute commands on your computer. However, there is a difference between the files.

This is the difference between .bat and .exe

bat files are more suitable for simple tasks and scripts, while .exe files stand for full-fledged programs that are executed directly by the operating system:

• A batch file has the abbreviation .bat and consists of text commands that can be interpreted by your computer’s operating system.

• Examples of this are commands for copying and renaming files or starting programs. They can be edited with a text editor.

• Executable files, so-called .exe files, contain machine-readable code. This implements specific functions or applications. The code is written in programming languages such as C++.

• The files cannot be easily edited as they contain machine-readable code. Changes to the code therefore require access to the source code and recompilation of the program.

Differences in the execution

There is another difference between the two file types. This lies in the design:

• Batch files are executed from the command prompt. The code in the batch file is interpreted from top to bottom:

• Executable files with the extension .exe are executed directly by the operating system or another program. For this purpose, it contains machine-readable code that is understood directly by the computer’s processor.

• If you want to learn programming, you should take a closer look at the input types.