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How do I test whether that is a binary file?

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting How do I test whether that is a binary file?
# 8  
Old 06-03-2004
jim -

Quote:
In unix a file is a bag of bytes. Period. There is no such thing as a binary file or a text file, except perhaps in terms of how you retreive data from it, or which magic number the file has. All I/O uses base modules like read. The higher-level i/o modules call read, then play with the data in the buffer and return chunks of it.
Yes thanks I know this!

But, the file command under HP-UX will come back with more than just 'data' or 'ascii data'. It will take a stab at naming the file type. e.g.

rmfiles: commands text
ls: PA-RISC1.1 shared executable dynamically linked

So under HP-UX at least, it may be possible to determine the type of file - I have seen scripts which attempt this.

As you say there is no 'type'* of file in Unix which is why the file command relies on file contents. This is why the file command is not reliable and may catch some programmers out!

* The OS must recognise some internal marker for an executable, rather than an interpreted file right?
# 9  
Old 06-03-2004
i cant see why file wouldnt suite your needs. maybe you are using a different version than i? from my file man page:

Quote:
You can obtain the original author's latest version by
anonymous FTP on ftp.astron.com in the directory
/pub/file/file-X.YY.tar.gz
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