Undocumented functionality change of UDF _HexToString

[DerPensionist]

Autoit v3.3.14.1 converts hexstring not only to string but also to UTF8. Conversion to UTF8 is undocumented in helpfile.
This change is in some cases very essential! This should be documented, or much better add an aditional parameter (flag of BinaryToString) to the function.
Up to Autoit v3.3.12.1 worked fine, since v3,3,14.1 give wrong results.
Example:
string: "0xFFD8FFE000104A464946" ......JFIF
v3.3.12.1: FFD8FFE000104A464946 correct
v3.3.14.1: EFBFBDEF0104A464946 confusing ! or with an longer string
long string: 3F3F3F3F0010..... and this is a wrong JPG-file

Edited September 5, 2015 by DerPensionist
minimal reproducer.

[jchd]

Please post minimal reproducer. I suspect you read or write binary data in text mode or something.

Edited September 5, 2015 by jchd

[DerPensionist]

Sorry, I wanted explain the big change. (File written in binary, and has nothing to do with the conversion)

[jchd]

Which "big change" are you talking about?

[water]

Changes to AutoIt are always documented in the "Change History" or the "Script breaking Changes" .

[DerPensionist]

I do not believe that everybody has always to check "Check History" and "Script Breaking Changes", but can expect that helpfile has all required information.
Version v3.3.12,1 used internal StringToBinary($sHex) with default flag : $SB_ANSI (1) = binary data is ANSI (default)
in v3.3.14.1 changed to StringToBinary($sHex,$SB_UTF8) (4) = binary data is UTF8

this has signifant changes in result. (all invalid ANSI values changing to 0x3F)

Modified routine seems to work as _HexUFT8ToANSI() wich assumes input UFT8 encoded. I beleave terms of "Hex" and "Binary" are indepent of encoding UTF8/ANSI.
Anyway in older version was $var == _StringToHex(_HexToString($var)) was always tru.
With new release no longer, if string contains any Non-ANSI charachter. HTML input contains somtimes some.

[Jos]

I do not believe that everybody has always to check "Check History" and "Script Breaking Changes", but can expect that helpfile has all required information.

Which it has in the script breaking changes... so it is a moot point whether you agree or not and your choice to ignore this but please don't come crying to us.

Agree?

Jos

Edited September 5, 2015 by Jos

[guinness]

To add to what Jos said, just use an old version of AutoIt and then those script breaking changes all go away. As to your comment about people not checking the changelog when upgrading, then bigger fools them. Downloading a new version of AutoIt is entirely voluntary, be we do expect a little bit of common sense before doing so. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[DerPensionist]

It was bad comunicated by me.
I think it should not be necessary for all beginners to read all "Change History" entries.
The help should have soon or later all information.
And there is no documentation that this function also conversts the hexstring from UTF8 to ANSI.

Edited September 5, 2015 by DerPensionist
text expanded

[kaisies]

It was bad comunicated by me.
I think it should not be necessary for all beginners to read all "Change History" entries.
The help should have soon or later all information.
And there is no documentation that this function also conversts the hexstring from UTF8 to ANSI.

I don't think most newbies use hextostring o.0