bin2hex - script to convert data files into source code arrays

Looking for a way to convert a binary (or even a text) file into a Perl, Pascal/Delphi, C/C++, or Java source code array? For example, you may want to do this to include a GIF or other binary file directly inside your Perl CGI script, rather than reading the data from a file to reduce file access. If you're writing Windows programs, you could use the same method to store resource files in your executable files.

The bin2hex.pl script will take a binary file name and output a source code array, in the specified language, necessary to recreate the input data inside a program.

To run the script, first make sure that you have a Perl interpreter installed on your system and download the bin2hex.pl script. Then execute the following command from your command prompt (assuming you want to convert a file named banner.gif to a Perl string):

perl bin2hex.pl banner.gif 0 >source.txt -Download demo1.bat-

You will end-up with a source.txt file with content similar to the following:

# begin binary data:
$bin_data = # 42
"x47x49x46x38x39x61x01".
"x00x01x00x80x00x00x00x00".
"x00xFFxFFxFFx21xF9x04".
"x01x00x00x00x00x2Cx00x00".
"x00x00x01x00x01x00x40".
"x02x01x44x00x3B";
# end binary data. size = 42 bytes

-Download result1.txt-

bin2hex.pl script

Usage:
perl bin2hex.pl <binary_file_name> <language_id>

binary_file_name
The input file name

language_id
The language identifier
(source code array will be generated in this language):
0 - Perl or similar language(default)
1 - C / C++ / Java or similar language
2 - Pascal / Delphi or similar language

#
# bin2hex.pl by tips-notebook
# http://tips-notebook.blogspot.com/tips/
#

# number of characters per line
$chars_per_line = 15;

# -------------------------------------

# language id
#
# 0 = Perl (default)
# 1 = C / C++
# 2 = Pascal / Delphi
#
$lang = $ARGV[1];

$rem_begin = "begin binary data:";
$rem_end = "end binary data.";

# initialize for Perl strings
# by default
$_var = "# $rem_beginn".
"$bin_data = # %dn";
$_begin = """;
$_end = "";n";
$_break = "".n"";
$_format = "\x%02X";
$_separator = "";
$_comment = "# $rem_end ".
"size = %d bytes";


# C / C++
if(1 == $lang)
{
$_var = "/* $rem_begin */n".
"char bin_data[] = ".
"/* %d */n";
$_begin = "{";
$_end = "};n";
$_break = "n";
$_format = "0x%02X";
$_separator = ",";
$_comment = "/* $rem_end ".
"size = %d bytes */";
}
elsif(2 == $lang)
{
$_var = "{ $rem_begin }n".
"const bin_data : ".
"array [1..%d] of ".
"byte = n";
$_begin = "(";
$_end = ");n";
$_break = "n";
$_format = "$%02X";
$_separator = ",";
$_comment = "{ $rem_end ".
"size = %d bytes }";
}

if(open(F, "<".$ARGV[0])) { binmode(F); $s = ''; $i = 0; $count = 0; $first = 1; $s .= $_begin; while(!eof(F)) { if($i >= $chars_per_line)
{
$s .= $_break;
$i = 0;
}
if(!$first)
{
$s .= $_separator;
}
$s .= sprintf(
$_format, ord(getc(F)));
++$i;
++$count;
$first = 0;
}
$s .= $_end;
$s .= sprintf $_comment, $count;
$s .= "nn";

$s = "n".sprintf($_var, $count).$s;

print $s;

close( F );
}
else
{
print
"bin2hex.pl by Chami.comn".
"n".
"usage:n".
" perl bin2hex.pl ".
" n".
"n".
" : path to the ".
"binary filen".
" : 0 = Perl, ".
"1 = C/C++/Java, ".
"2 = Pascal/Delphin".
"n";
}
-Download bin2hex.pl-