File to byte array function?

[Delta]

I did a bit of search but since I'm not exactly sure what I'm searching for I found little results. Essentially I'm trying to load a file into an array. _FileReadToArray does this on a line by line basis but I want to do it on a byte by byte basis. Does such a function exist to spit a file or string into an array by bytes?

[BrewManNH]

By bytes or by character, such as converting spaces to the number 32, the letter "a" to the number 97, etc.?

[Delta]

I'm not sure which I'm going to need so I suppose for now both. The end result of this whole endeavor is to hopefully stream a media file from autoit to another program such as VLC, WMP, flash, etc.

[JohnOne]

Use FileOpen in binary mode and FileRead.

[Delta]

That will open the file but that won't split it which is fine if I can split what's returned and stick it in an array.

Edit: Ah wait I think I see where you're going with this. FileRead has an optional parameter to read a number of characters at a time. Combine that with _ArrayAdd and I think I have my solution!

Edited September 3, 2012 by Delta

[BrewManNH]

How about this:

$file = FileOpen("test.txt", 16)
$Text = FileRead($file)
ConsoleWrite('@@ Debug(' & @ScriptLineNumber & ') : $Text = ' & $Text & @crlf & '>Error code: ' & @error & @crlf) ;### Debug Console

Line 1 opens the file in BINARY mode, line 2 reads the entire file to the $Text string, line 3 displays what is inside the variable $Text in SciTE's console.

This is what JohnOne was referring to.

Edited September 3, 2012 by BrewManNH

[JohnOne]

Well Depending on what is in the file.

A simple file read would suffice, and a StringSplit($file,"") will give you your array.

Each ascii char is one byte, so transfer that to a dllstruct byte array, and your there you are.

[Delta]

Ah I'm an idiot. Been too long since I've done any coding. I just stumbled over using stringsplit without a delimiter in the help file a few seconds ago which was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the help guys!

[Robosapien]

Hello, layman here(non programmer).

This post got me curious. Is it possible to convert a file such as a pdf to a continuous stream of bytes, and later generate that same pdf file using nothing but the stream of bytes.

Here are the uses of such an operation,

Say you want to hide a file from other users, but dont want others to find out that you are hiding something from them. In such a scenario, all you have to do is,

1. convert the file into its byte array,
2. Save that byte array into a text file (Create a text file with a huge wall of text like some 100s of pages long novel. Paste the byte array somewhere in the middle of the text so that nobody stumbles upon it.)
3. Delete the original pdf file.

So, essentially you have hidden the pdf file within the text file and no one is even aware that you are hiding it from them.

Later, when you want to recover the file, just copy the byte array into an autoit script that can generate the file as output(if possible).

 

So, what i want to know is, is it possible to do such an operation using Autoit v3.3.14.1?

Also, a list of the functions required (or a working code) would be much appreciated

 

Thanks.

[JohnOne]

1. Yes

2. FileOpen, FileRead, FileWrite, (edit) and Filedelete

Edited November 27, 2016 by JohnOne

[Robosapien]

Thanks JohnOne for the quick reply

Here is where i got to so far.

I use this code to get the binary data of the required file

#include <FileConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIFiles.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
$file = FileOpen("D:\testing\new  4.zip", 16)
$Text = FileRead($file)
Clipput($Text)
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL,"Byte Stream",$Text)

"D:\testing\new  4.zip" is an existing file that i want to operate upon.

After running this code, I can see the resulting byte stream in the Message Box and it is also pasted in the Clip Board if i want to save it somewhere.

Next thing is I want to Generate the file from the byte stream.

So, I use this code to do that after i have put the byte stream in the Clip Board.

#include <FileConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIFiles.au3>
$sFilePath = "D:\testing\New folder\new  4.zip"
Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen($sFilePath, $FO_BINARY)
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL,"Result",$hFileOpen)
$sData=ClipGet()
FileWrite($hFileOpen,$sData)

"D:\testing\New folder\new  4.zip" does not exist, so I want it to be created with the same contents as "D:\testing\new  4.zip"

FileWrite says it can write data to a previously opened file. Hence I have to use the FileOpen command before FileWrite.

But after running this code, I get $hFileOpen as -1 indicating a failure.

What am i doing wrong?

[mikell]

You didn't open the file in write mode 

[Robosapien]

17 minutes ago, mikell said:

You didn't open the file in write mode 

Well FileOpen has to have

1. $FO_APPEND because I'm writing to the file
2. $FO_BINARY because the contents are in binary (isn't it?)
3. $FO_CREATEPATH because it has to create the file.

So, i have to give a combination of these. The help file says i can do that but I'm not sure how.

Thanks in advance.

[mikell]

Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen($sFilePath, $FO_APPEND + $FO_BINARY + $FO_CREATEPATH)

[Robosapien]

Thanks mikell, that solved it.