Character8

Background

    ▪ Sequence of 8-bit characters.
    ▪ Raw binary format.

Import and Export

  • Import["file","Character8"] imports any file, returning a list of 8-bit characters.
  • Export["file",list,"Character8"] exports a list of characters to a binary file.
  • Export["file",expr,"Character8"] converts an expression to a string of characters and exports it to a binary file in which each byte represents a character.
  • Import["file",{"Character8",elem}] or Import["file",elem ] imports the specified element.
  • Import["file",{"Character8",{elem1,elem2,…}}] imports multiple elements.
  • See the reference pages for full general information on Import and Export.
  • ImportString and ExportString support the Character8 format.

Elements

  • General Import elements:
  • "Elements" elements and options available in this file
    "Rules"full rules for each element and option
    "Options"rules for options, properties, and settings
  • Data representation element:
  • "Data"list of 8-bit characters
  • By default, Import and Export use the "Data" element.
  • Import["file",{"Character8",n}] gives the n^(th) byte.

Options

  • Import option:
  • "HeaderBytes"0how many bytes to skip at the beginning of the file

Examples

Basic Examples  (2)

Convert a list of characters to a string representing an 8-bit character array:

In[1]:=
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Out[1]=

The Wolfram Language can also convert expressions of multicharacter strings to 8-bit characters:

In[2]:=
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Out[2]=

Convert the previous result back to an expression:

In[3]:=
Click for copyable input
Out[3]=

Multibyte characters cannot be exported to the Character8 format:

In[1]:=
Click for copyable input
Out[1]=

See Also

"Binary"  "Bit"  "Byte"  "Character16"  "Integer8"  "Integer16"  "Integer24"  "Integer32"  "Integer64"  "Integer128"  "UnsignedInteger8"  "UnsignedInteger16"  "UnsignedInteger24"  "UnsignedInteger32"  "UnsignedInteger64"  "UnsignedInteger128"  "Real32"  "Real64"  "Real128"  "Complex64"  "Complex128"  "Complex256"  "String"

Introduced in 2004
(5.1)
| Updated in 2007
(6.0)