Executables

Container formats for machine executable code. These often define different sections to be loaded into memory. Some formats may be compatible with different CPU architectures.

Directly executable

 * a.out
 * COFF — The Common Object File Format, an executable format originally designed for use in UNIX System V
 * Commodore 64 binary executable (.prg)
 * DOS executable (.com) — 16 bit DOS executable
 * ELF
 * EXE — MS-DOS, MS Windows, and others
 * MS-DOS EXE
 * NE (New Executable)
 * Linear Executable
 * PE (Portable Executable, actually a COFF variant)
 * Intel HEX
 * iOS app (.app) (see also IPA for archived version, and Mobile Provision file for provision file accompanying apps)
 * Mach-O
 * Psion IMG (and APP)
 * Psion OPO (and OPA)

Shared libraries, chained files, etc.
(can't be run by themselves, but are used at runtime by other executables)


 * Assembly manifest (Windows) (.manifest)
 * Dynamic library (OS X or iOS) (.dylib)
 * Dynamic-link library (Windows) (.dll)
 * Turbo Pascal chain file (.chn)

See also Source code for code in a higher-level programming language that needs to be compiled, assembled, or interpreted, and Development for other files used in the development process, including object and library files that get linked into a finished executable.

Virtual machine code

 * Bytecode (or p-code) — programs "compiled" into machine-independent code that loads or runs more quickly than raw interpreted source code; runs in an interpreter
 * Universal Machine (ICFP programming contest 2006)

Links

 * Download Wrappers and Unwanted Software are pure evil
 * Flappy Bird implementations for various classic platforms
 * Library of Congress Recommended Format Specifications: Software/Gaming