https://github.com/dmendel/bindata

BinData - Reading and Writing Binary Data in Ruby
https://github.com/dmendel/bindata

binary-analysis declarative-language file-format reverse-engineering ruby

Last synced: 2 days ago
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BinData - Reading and Writing Binary Data in Ruby

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/dmendel/bindata
• Owner: dmendel
• License: bsd-2-clause
• Created: 2013-05-17T02:27:43.000Z (over 11 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2024-06-13T04:56:31.000Z (6 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-10-29T16:59:15.778Z (about 1 month ago)
• Topics: binary-analysis, declarative-language, file-format, reverse-engineering, ruby
• Language: Ruby
• Homepage:
• Size: 1.49 MB
• Stars: 578
• Watchers: 17
• Forks: 55
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: ChangeLog.rdoc
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# What is BinData?

[![Github CI](https://github.com/dmendel/bindata/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/dmendel/bindata/actions/workflows/ci.yml)

[![Version](https://img.shields.io/gem/v/bindata.svg)](https://rubygems.org/gems/bindata)

[![Downloads](https://img.shields.io/gem/dt/bindata.svg)](https://rubygems.org/gems/bindata)

[![Coverage](https://img.shields.io/coveralls/dmendel/bindata.svg)](https://coveralls.io/r/dmendel/bindata)

Do you ever find yourself writing code like this?

```ruby

io = File.open(...)

len = io.read(2).unpack("v")

name = io.read(len)

width, height = io.read(8).unpack("VV")

puts "Rectangle #{name} is #{width} x #{height}"

```

It’s ugly, violates DRY and doesn't feel like Ruby.

There is a better way. Here’s how you’d write the above using BinData.

```ruby

class Rectangle < BinData::Record

  endian :little

  uint16 :len

  string :name, :read_length => :len

  uint32 :width

  uint32 :height

end

io = File.open(...)

r  = Rectangle.read(io)

puts "Rectangle #{r.name} is #{r.width} x #{r.height}"

```

BinData provides a _declarative_ way to read and write structured binary data.

This means the programmer specifies *what* the format of the binary

data is, and BinData works out *how* to read and write data in this

format.  It is an easier (and more readable) alternative to

ruby's `#pack` and `#unpack` methods.

BinData makes it easy to create new data types. It supports all the common

primitive datatypes that are found in structured binary data formats. Support

for dependent and variable length fields is built in. 

# Installation

    $ gem install bindata

# Documentation

[BinData manual](http://github.com/dmendel/bindata/wiki).

# Contact

If you have any queries / bug reports / suggestions, please contact me

(Dion Mendel) via email at [email protected]