12-07-2010
This doesn't really apply. In unix there are files. They are buckets of bits - nothing else. Period. The file command to some extent is there to keep windows users happy.
The dd command and some other utilities are there to help convert files to something that fits into the unix mindset.
here are some:
channel control words in MVS TSO
fortran carriage control files
VMS carriage control files with line descriptors
prime text files
12 bit byte file with Data General format headers, like "file" VTOC's.
carriage control files with either DOS or unix carriage control
fixed record length files with no carriage control
file descriptor controlled files (not a unix file descriptor, more like docx)
string-delimited files (nul marks the end of a line)
PDL defined files (page description language files like pdf, postscript, and HP PCL) where
records are not actually defined, except maybe by primitives like moveto.
binary files where word lengths or predefined records (structs) define "records".
The list goes on - pointlessly IMO. Any old stinker like me can come up with 'do you remember' file formats. I'd rather forget.
In other words, perhaps you need to rethink file structures. They are something we as people map onto data, the other way around is not really valid. Read the magic man page.
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ASA(1) BSD General Commands Manual ASA(1)
NAME
asa -- interpret carriage-control characters.
SYNOPSIS
asa [file ...]
DESCRIPTION
The asa utility reads files sequentially, mapping FORTRAN carriage-control characters to line-printer control sequences, and writes them to
the standard output.
The first character of each line is interpreted as a carriage-control character. The following characters are interpreted as follows:
<space> Output the rest of the line without change.
0 Output a <newline> character before printing the rest of the line.
1 Output a <formfeed> character before printing the rest of the line.
+ The trailing <newline> of the previous line is replaced by a <carriage-return> before printing the rest of the line.
Lines beginning with characters other than the above are treated as if they begin with <space>.
EXAMPLES
To view a file containing the output of a FORTRAN program:
asa file
To format the output of a FORTRAN program and redirect it to a line-printer.
a.out | asa | lpr
DIAGNOSTICS
The asa utility exit 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
SEE ALSO
f77(1)
STANDARDS
The asa utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.2-1992 (``POSIX.2'').
AUTHORS
J.T. Conklin, Winning Strategies, Inc.
BSD
September 23, 1993 BSD