read any file's content (not only txt)

[sandin]

FileRead() can read content of a textual based files, but what I need is to read content of any file (.exe .jpg .mp3, etc...)

I found in help:

_WinAPI_ReadFile ()

and

_WinAPI_CreateFile ()

but in the help there aren't any examples, so I couldn't really understand them.

I also found some topics on this forum, but couldn't figure from them how to read file's content.

Can anyone give me a simple example of reading any file's content?

[ProgAndy]

You can read all files with FileOPen, FileREad and FileClose, but only in binary mode.

Example:

$file = FileOPen("C:\test.exe",16)
$src = FileRead($file)
FileClose($file)

[sandin]

I tried, but I get first several characters of file, and not the entire file:

$file1 = FileOpenDialog("choose file", "", "ALL (*.*)")
$file = FileOPen($file1,16)
$src = BinaryToString(FileRead($file))
MsgBox(0, "wtf, is this?", $src)
FileClose($file)

edit: P.S. anyway, tnx for reply

Edited June 13, 2008 by sandin

[ReaImDown]

I tried, but I get first several characters of file, and not the entire file:

$file1 = FileOpenDialog("choose file", "", "ALL (*.*)")
$file = FileOPen($file1,16)
$src = BinaryToString(FileRead($file))
MsgBox(0, "wtf, is this?", $src)
FileClose($file)

edit: P.S. anyway, tnx for reply

90% of a file...is to automate the .exe... .mp3 or .mpeg etc... therefore you will not be able to read the biggest chunk of coding, but if theres 'english' in there, you will be able to read it

[dcer]

Hmm... if you just want raw code/text out of it, you could try to use FileMove to rename the file to .txt and then read it

[ReaImDown]

Hmm... if you just want raw code/text out of it, you could try to use FileMove to rename the file to .txt and then read it

just use HexEdit

[d4rk]

But then, what can we see from them ?

somethings like this :

}♂▐MÜ▌

[dcer]

just use HexEdit

HexEdit? Not recognized with my autoit , are you sure there's a function with that name?

EDIT: Doh... ofc you're talking about the program HexEdit... my bad xD

Edited June 13, 2008 by dcer

[d4rk]

no, maybe it's mentioning about an external program

[ProgAndy]

I tried, but I get first several characters of file, and not the entire file:

$file1 = FileOpenDialog("choose file", "", "ALL (*.*)")
$file = FileOPen($file1,16)
$src = BinaryToString(FileRead($file))
MsgBox(0, "wtf, is this?", $src)
FileClose($file)

edit: P.S. anyway, tnx for reply

You mustn't convert it with BinaryToString. You CAN READ IT ONLY IN BINARY MODE ! Just remove BinaryToString and it works fine.

[sandin]

You mustn't convert it with BinaryToString. You CAN READ IT ONLY IN BINARY MODE ! Just remove BinaryToString and it works fine.

I see.... so there is no way to get file's content like the one I get when I open any file in notepad, cause I can't convert binary to string anymore?

p.s. I tried hex:

$file1 = FileOpenDialog("choose file", "", "ALL (*.*)")
$file = FileOPen($file1,16)
$src = Hex(FileRead($file))
MsgBox(0, "wtf is this?", BinaryToString("0x" & $src))
FileClose($file)oÝ÷ Ù©Ýjëh×6#include <string.au3>
$file1 = FileOpenDialog("choose file", "", "ALL (*.*)")
$file = FileOPen($file1,16)
$src = _StringToHex(FileRead($file))
MsgBox(0, "wtf is this?", BinaryToString(_HexToString($src)))
FileClose($file)

and both giving me same results (only first part of the file), but if binaryToString is not working, then how can I convert read binary code into file I read in the first place?

[ProgAndy]

What happens, if you open a file in Notepad, save it and close it again?

Right. the executable is changed and you can't run it anymore.

Why? I think Notepad changes all Chr(0) ( in Hex/Binary: 00 ) to Space. You could do that, too, but then you can't save the file anymore properly.

e.g.:

$file = FileOpen("C:\WINDOWS\Notepad.exe",16)
$str = FileRead($file)
FileClose($file)
$x = StringRegExpReplace($str,"((?:.{2})*?)00","$1.20"); Workaround, because $120 in replace doesn't work: $1.20
$x = StringReplace($x,".","")) ; remove the points from Workaround.
$x = BinaryToString($x)
MsgBox(0, '', $x)

Edited June 13, 2008 by ProgAndy

[sandin]

oh... I see what you mean. :/ tnx, that was very informative.

I wanted to know if I can read file's content, so I can split a file into several smaller files, and then recreate the original file from those small files. I thought I can read file's content, then split it into smaller pieces, save each one in a different file, and eventually read those small file's parts, and recreate the original file again.