Mixed binary and ASCII file - want to read ASCII

[fopetesl]

Need to read a small file which looks like

01 01 01 00 21 21 48 4F ����!HHO
(cut from hexedit)

First four are binary but don't show, last four are ascii "!HHO"

I have tried to split the file and look for the ascii string but not succeeded:

; Set the working directory ... or set PATH! ...
            FileChangeDir("C:\S3_GUI\ncat\")
        ;   Run(@ComSpec & " /k " & "C:\S3_GUI\ncat\Home.bat", "", @SW_HIDE);;comment: not over  write
            Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen("C:\S3_GUI\ncat\homerep", $FO_READ) ;; homerep
            Local $sFileRead = FileRead($hFileOpen)
            Local $Comp = StringInStr ($sFileRead,"!HHO",1,4)
            If( $Comp = 1) Then
               MsgBox($MB_OK, "Head is Home", "!HHO")
            Else
               MsgBox($MB_OK, "Head not Home!","!HHx")
            EndIf

Fails every time.

If I open it as binary then I lose the ascii?

I've been advised to include the whole file but it's getting big. You need to see it all?

Edited March 14, 2017 by fopetesl
Correct syntax

[JoHanatCent]

What does the file look like without the hexeditor?

 

[AndyG]

Hi,

StringInstr() returns the position of the substring, your parameter "4" returns the 4th occurrence of the substring....

You should better use MUCH more  of CTRL+SHIFT+D and ALT+D....

[BrewManNH]

Open the file using FileOpen with the $FO_BINARY option to read it as binary. FileOpen without that will stop at the first instance of the character 00 which delimits a text string, so reading it as text isn't going to work.

[fopetesl]

22 hours ago, JoHanatCent said:

What does the file look like without the hexeditor?

 

 !HHO

 

[fopetesl]

21 hours ago, BrewManNH said:

Open the file using FileOpen with the $FO_BINARY option to read it as binary. FileOpen without that will stop at the first instance of the character 00 which delimits a text string, so reading it as text isn't going to work.

OK, so I tried to read as binary:

Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen("C:\S3_GUI\ncat\homerep", BitOr($FO_READ,$FO_BINARY))
            Local $sFileRead = FileRead($hFileOpen)
;     Local $AscStr = BinaryToString($sFileRead,$SB_ANSI)
;    Local $bFile = StringLeft($sFileRead,20)  ; get 8 bytes from file
;    Local $bFbyte = StringMid($bFile,11,10)
;    Local $sConvtd = BinaryToString($bFbyte)
     MsgBox($MB_OK, "Bin2Asc", $sConvtd)

I tried all these combinations. No change

[fopetesl]

21 hours ago, AndyG said:

Hi,

StringInstr() returns the position of the substring, your parameter "4" returns the 4th occurrence of the substring....

You should better use MUCH more  of CTRL+SHIFT+D and ALT+D....

Hi, AndyG.  first I tried this

Local $hFileOpen = FileOpen("C:\S3_GUI\ncat\homerep", $FO_READ) ;; homerep
            Local $sFileRead = FileRead($hFileOpen)
            Local $Comp = StringInStr ($sFileRead,"!HHO",1,4)
            MsgBox($MB_OK, "Bin2Asc", $Comp)
            If( $Comp = 1) Then
               MsgBox($MB_OK, "Head is Home", "!HHO")
            Else
               MsgBox($MB_OK, "Head not Home!","!HHx")
            EndIf

returned a single '0'

 

Explain "CTRL+SHIFT+D and ALT+D", please. Alt+D gives a ping, Ctrl+Shift+D gives "EOT" in Scite editor.

 

[Melba23]

fopetesl,

This seems to work:

#include <File.au3>

; ###################
; Only for example

; Required file content
$bBinary = "0x010101002121484F"

; Create file containing the data
$hFile = FileOpen("Test.fil", $FO_OVERWRITE + $FO_BINARY)
FileWrite($hFile, $bBinary)
FileClose($hFile)

Sleep(1000)

; ##################

; Define required search string
$sSearch = "2121484F"

; Or create it from ASCII
$sSearch = StringTrimLeft(StringToBinary("!!HO"), 2)

; Open file and read contents as binary
$hFile = FileOpen("Test.fil", $FO_BINARY)
$sContent = FileRead($hFile)
FileClose($hFile)

; Check for search string
 If StringInStr($sContent, $sSearch) Then
    MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Head is Home", "!HHO")
Else
    MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Head not Home!","!HHx")
EndIf

M23

[fopetesl]

M23 & guys, thank you.

Works a treat. So simple. When you know how.

[AndyG]

On 15.3.2017 at 10:46 AM, fopetesl said:

Explain "CTRL+SHIFT+D and ALT+D", please. Alt+D gives a ping, Ctrl+Shift+D gives "EOT" in Scite editor.

Hi,

I do not know which Scite version you are using, In all Scite versions which i have used since 2008, the CTRL+SHIFT+D writes a line with a DEBUG-Msgbox whith the content of a variable or function the cursor stands on (or a marked funktion or anything else).

ALT+D writes a DEBUG-consolewrite.

In the "extras" Menu you will find some more very(!) helpful commands and shortcuts to debug your code within seconds. I think 80% of the "help me"-posts in every internet-(programming)-forum could be avoided with minimalistic usage of simplest debugging functions!

[Melba23]

AndyG,

Quote

I think 80% of the "help me"-posts in every internet-(programming)-forum could be avoided with minimalistic usage of simplest debugging functions!

So true!

M23

[Jos]

45 minutes ago, AndyG said:

I do not know which Scite version you are using, In all Scite versions which i have used since 2008, the CTRL+SHIFT+D writes a line with a DEBUG-Msgbox whith the content of a variable or function the cursor stands on (or a marked funktion or anything else).

This is only the case for the full SciTE version that comes in the separate installer. The lite SciTE version included in the AutoIt3 installer doesn't have these debugging options.

Jos