Hex Edit 3.4

Hex Edit 3.4  is a powerful tool which is useful for editing files of any size. It has many options like: hex/char/both/stacked display modes, autofit, hex/dec addresses, RO/RW, INS/OVR modes, fully customizable "info tips", scroll/zoom using mouse-wheel, print selection (coalescing duplicate lines), margin/line-spacing, print preview, fast searches, comparison, highlighter, clipboard, bookmarks, color schemes.

It can continuously display over 70 properties in a pinable dialog: including decimal 4 sizes of integer, bit values, IEEE/IBM floats (new C# Decimal), dates (new time64_t) etc. You can also edit properties, eg. change a date. You can see characters as ASCII/ANSI, IBM/OEM (MSDOS), EBCDIC using the char set drop-down list.

Major Features:

1. Display Options
   • Easy selection of display format from toolbar drop-down lists
   • Easy selection of character set (ASCII, ANSI, MSDOS, EBCDIC) using drop down list
   • Easy selection of colour schemes, font, font size etc using drop-down lists
   • Choose any font (including typeface, style and size)
   • You can undo all display changes not just file changes (see Undo below)
   • Option to show only text area, only hex area, or both areas
   • Quickly select the next larger or smaller valid font size using toolbar buttons or mouse wheel
   • Mark and remember important bytes with the highlighter
   • Number of columns setable up to 1000
   • Column grouping setable from 2 to number of columns
   • Autofit mode automatically adjusts the number of columns to fit the window
   • You can hide highlights, bookmarks etc (without actually deleting them)
   • Addresses (on the left side of the window) can be in hex or decimal
   • Hex digits can be displayed in upper or lower case (all windows, dialogs, status bar etc)
   • Skins allow you to completely change the look of menus, toolbars etc
   • Window tabs facilitates switching between files
   • See also Colour Options, Advanced Display Options, EBCDIC support
2. Editing Options
   • You can edit files over a Terabyte (Windows 2000/XP filesystem) or up to 4 GBytes (FAT32)
   • Open and change the last byte of a 10 Gbyte file in seconds
   • All the normal cursor movement and editing keys are supported
   • Ctrl+Left and Ctrl+Right move by column groups (group size is configurable)
   • Holding down shift and pressing cursor movement keys selects a range of bytes
   • The normal mouse selection is supported including autoscroll (with acceleration), shift-clicking etc
   • Unlimited undo of all files changes (see Undo below)
   • Files can be opened for read-only
   • Windows can be toggled between read-write and read-only (if the file is not read-only)
   • Windows can be edited in Insert or Overtype mode
   • Unlike some editors you don't need a spare GByte of disk space to edit a Gbyte file
   • See also Advanced Editing, Clipboard, and File Handling
3. Templates
   • Easily gives an overview of almost any type of binary file (using appropriate template)
   • Templates for common formats provided or available for download, and more being created all the time
   • Advanced template system using XML schema for storing templates
   • Handles variable length elements (arrays, strings) and optional elements by evaluating expressions
   • Displays a "tree view" in a split window or a tabbed window
   • Tree view allows quick location of specific data fields (by expanding branches)
   • Expressions can evaluate any field encountered in the file so far including array elements & struct members
   • Expressions have most C (and hence C++) operators with same precedence
   • Integer, floating point, string and boolean types supported by expressions
   • Expressions allow array indexing ([] operator) and structure member access (. operator)
   • Create and assign global variables (including arrays) in expressions
   • Complete nesting of elements (eg array of structs, array of arrays etc)
   • Arrays can be variable in length using a length expression and/or termination condition expression
   • Array elements can be variable in size
   • Boolean expressions are evaluated to determine presence of optional elements
   • Supports all "Properties" data types including dates, floats, 64 bit ints etc
   • Supports fixed length and terminated strings
   • Optional domain check (boolean expression) of fields to flag invalid values
   • Integer fields can be displayed and validated according to an "enum" (list of names/values)
   • Enum syntax is the same as in C/C++
   • Supports variable length strings and BLOBs (length = expression)
   • Button to jump to the template creator's web site for more info. on a specific format
4. Bookmarks
   • Unlimited named bookmarks each associated with a file and address
   • Add, delete, jump to bookmarks from the Bookmarks list (modeless dialog)
   • Sort bookmarks on name, time last used (jumped to), time changed (created/moved), filename, offset etc
   • Bookmarks are automatically adjusted when bytes are added or deleted
   • Validate bookmarks removes all bookmarks that no longer exist (file gone etc)
   • Exclude network and removable drives from validation
   • Command to remove all bookmarks from the current file
   • Commands to jump to previous/next bookmark in file
   • Quickly create unnamed bookmarks using bookmark toggle command
   • Quickly jump to any bookmark in the current file by selecting from bookmarks tool
   • Bookmarks tool displays the nearest bookmark in the file
   • New bookmarks context menu when you right-click on a bookmark
   • Integration with other features (eg jump tools, searches etc)
5. Undo
   • Unlimited undo (only limited by available virtual memory)
   • File level undo allows undoing of all modifications to a file
   • All display changes are undoable (eg. font, number of columns, etc)
   • "Undo Changes" command avoids wading through lots of window level changes
   • You are warned before undoing file changes made in another window
6. Printing
   • Print preview (including zoom) is provided
   • Printing the current selection or a range of pages is supported
   • NEW Duplicate lines (eg masses of nul bytes) can be printed once with a count
   • The font size is adjusted so that the printing fits across the page
   • Margins and line-spacing can be controlled
   • Customizable printer headers and footers - current date, file name/dates, page # etc
   • NEW Printer headers can be positioned vertically
   • NEW Options to print a border and column headings
   • Improved print preview including display of margins
   • Search occurrences and highlights are printed
7. Properties
   • The properties dialog can remain on screen and is updated as you move the cursor
   • The current position of the dialog is restored when you reopen Hex Edit
   • Associate category, comments and keywords with individual files
   • View file name, directory, date last created/accessed/modified, current size etc of a file
   • View file type (based on extension) as displayed in Windows (NT) Explorer
   • View read-only, hidden and system attributes
   • Display the hex, decimal, octal and binary values of the current byte at the cursor
   • Display the current byte in ASCII, Unicode (NT only), and EBCDIC
   • Display values of 4 integral sizes: 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit and 64 bit
   • Display integral types as (unsigned or signed) decimal
   • Display in any of 3 signed formats (2's complement, 1's complement, Sign & magnitude)
   • Display floating point numbers in IEEE, IBM or C# Decimal formats
   • Mantissa & exponent also displayed for floating point types
   • Display all numeric types with big- or little-endian byte order
   • Date properties page: allows view/change in 15 date formats
   • Dates can be set to current date/time, first/last valid or invalid values
   • Dates can be changed using calendar/spin controls or just typed in
8. Colour Options
   • Set all colours and save in a "scheme"
   • Four built-in schemes used by default for the four different character set displays
   • Unlimited number of custom schemes
   • A custom scheme can be associated with a file type (based on file extension)
   • Easily select a built-in or custom scheme from the drop-down list
   • Set colours for background, bookmarks, highlighter, hex and decimal addresses etc
   • Set colours for unlimited number of byte value groups
   • Colour groups allow non-adjoining ranges (eg. ASCII text = "10,13,32-126")
   • Colour groups allow you to easily see file structure and spot many problems/irregularities
   • Comprehensive colour selection: drop-list, hexagon, RGB, HSV etc
9. Advanced Display Options
   • Window display options page allows adjustment of all options
   • Save display options as the default or restore the default settings
   • Most display options are adjustable on a per window basis
   • Display options (including highlights, bookmarks etc) are restored when file re-opened
   • Three options for the display of ASCII control characters (including C/C++ escape chars)
   • Options to display "ANSI/graphic" characters (byte values above the normal ASCII range)
   • Option to display IBM/MSDOS graphic characters
   • The column of the first byte of the file can be shifted with an offset
   • Press "Alt-Enter" to move the current column to be the leftmost column (adjusting the offset)
   • Choose any font (including typeface, style and size)
   • Display options for "new" windows can be set including open maximised
   • Addresses (on the left side of the window) can be in hex or decimal
   • Addresses can be displayed with thousands separators (decimal) or digit grouping (hex)
   • International number formats are supported
   • There is an option to have a "shadow" cursor in the other (hex/char) area
   • There is an option to display char area only (ie. no hex area)
10. Advanced Editing Options
    • The "mark" assists in many editing operations by marking a position
    • Conversions between EBCDIC and ASCII
    • Conversion between ANSI and IBM/OEM characters sets
    • Case conversion commands (including EBCDIC)
    • Encryption commands use internal algorithm or Crypto API compliant CSPs
    • MD5 command for checking for tampered downloads
    • Take checksum  or CRC (several types) of the current selection
    • Add, subtract, negate, NOT, XOR, increment, decrement etc on the current selection
    • Full support for ZLIB compression/decompression
    • Keep Same Times option restores file times to old values after saving
11. Clipboard
    • Cut and paste works for binary data (unlike some programs that lose nul bytes)
    • Bytes are copied in binary format (compatible with Visual Studio) and text (for NotePad etc)
    • In EBCDIC mode text is converted to ASCII before copying/cutting
    • Paste As EBCDIC allows conversion to EBCDIC
    • Paste As Unicode allows conversion to Unicode
    • Paste As ASCII removes non-ASCII characters (and avoids conversion in EBCDIC mode)
    • Copy As Hex Text converts each byte to 2 hex digits
    • Copy As C source converts to text suitable for initialising a char array
    • Write selection to file (overwrite or append)
12. Find
    • Boyer-Moore algorithm and other optimizations gives very fast searches
    • The Find Tool allows quick and easy hex or text searches
    • The Find Tool is resizeable so you can see those long search strings
    • Abort searches with the Escape key
    • When the background searches option is on and a new srting is searched for all occurrences are found using low-priority background threads
    • EBCDIC searches (case-sensitive and -insensitive) are performed when in EBCDIC mode
    • The search history lets you recall previous searches from a drop list (or using the arrow keys)
    • Standard modeless search dialog with hex/ASCII/Unicode/EBCDIC switch
13. Find Dialog
    • New find dialog is split into 5 pages: Simple, Hex, Text, Number & Replace pages
    • Options include direction, scope, whole word, case-sensitive
    • 4 scopes: whole file, to end/start of file, to mark (to search part of a large file), and all open files
    • whole file scope switches to end/start of file scope after first find to avoid finding the same thing
    • Simple page allows hex or text search and basic options
    • Hex page allows "?" wildcard to match any nybble and "mask" to ignore individual bits
    • Text page allows "?" wildcard to match any character, and character set options
    • Number page allows search for most formats of integer and floating point numbers
    • Replace page allows Find, Replace and Replace All
    • There is an option to just bookmark all found occurrences
    • Searches can be alignment restricted with alignment stride, offset and "relative to mark" options
    • Info entered on one page is reflected on other pages (eg text string is converted to hex using current character set in hex page)
    • Info entered is reflected in the Find Tool on toolbar
    • Search (and replace) histories are saved between sessions and also available from Find Tool
    • Find dialog stays on screen (modeless) but gets out of the way of the cursor
14. Calculator
    • Supports 4 bases: hexadecimal, decimal, octal, or binary
    • Supports 4 number sizes: 64 bit, 32 bit, 16 bit and 8 bit
    • Layout similar to Windows calculator but more sensible
    • Values displayed for easy reading using spaces/commas (or region specific format)
    • Many binary operations (eg. modulus, AND, exclusive-OR, rotations and shifts etc)
    • Many unary operations (eg. NOT, flip bytes, reverse bits, shift 1 bit, increment etc)
    • Memory operations: store, clear, M+, M-
    • File access operations to change cursor position, mark etc
    • Use the "GO" button to jump to the address displayed in the calculator
    • Mark operations analgous to memory operations: store, clear, Mk+, Mk-
    • Read/write values in file at cursor, mark, any address etc
    • Read/write file in big- or little-endian format
    • All calculator operations are recorded in keystroke macros
    • Overflow and errors cause macro minor errors (useful for halt condition)
15. Jump Tools
    • The hex and decimal jump tools allow you to easily jump to any address
    • Numbers are automatically formatted as they are entered
    • Each tool is updated as the other is changed - can be used as a quick hex/decimal converter
    • The addresses in these tools are updated as the cursor is moved
    • During long searches and comparisons the addresses are updated to show progress
    • Jump to a previous position with the Jump To Mark command
    • The calculator can be used to quickly jump to an absolute or relative address
16. Keystroke macros
    • HexEdit keystroke macros are usually fast and use little memory
    • Turning off display refresh can increase macro performance up to 10 times
    • Multiplay allows playing of a single macro up to 10,000 times repeatedly
    • There are options to refresh the display so you can monitor a macro's progress
    • Refresh the display based on time, number of keystrokes played, or number of replays
    • Turn on tool/status bar refresh, for example to monitor the current cursor address
    • Turn on refresh of the properties dialog to monitor properties at the cursor
    • Three error handling levels: halt on warnings, minor errors, or major errors only
    • Stopping on errors avoids mangled files, for example when end of file is encountered
    • Useful commands for macros include: swap cursor and mark, select to mark, increment byte etc
    • Mouse clicks and selections are also recorded (relative to top corner of window)
    • Macros are not restricted to one file or window, eg. use F2 to move to the next window
    • You can select a particular window, for example to build a file from parts of other files
    • If a window that was selected during recording no longer exists an error is generated
    • Abort macros at any time by pressing Escape
    • Save macros to file and load again at a later time
    • Easily replay saved macros without disturbing current in-memory macro
    • A message or instructions can be recorded and displayed at playback
    • Macros can be nested without limit (ie a macro can execute a different macro from file)
    • Autoexec macro executed when HexEdit is run
    • Macros can be auto-run when a file is opened based on file extension
    • Encryption and passwords are integrated with keystroke macros
    • A very powerful feature is macros close integration with the calculator
17. EBCDIC Support
    • In EBCDIC mode the character area displays EBCDIC (or a red dot for invalid EBCDIC)
    • The character properties page displays the current EBCDIC character including control codes
    • In EBCDIC mode the status bar also displays the current character in EBCDIC
    • In EBCDIC mode "Find Tool" searches use EBCDIC text (case-sensitive and -insensitive)
    • The Find Dialog also allows EBCDIC searches
    • The clipboard allows conversion to/from EBCDIC
    • Specify a custom EBCDIC conversion/display table (in a file called EBCDIC.TAB)
    • Unicode Support
    • The character properties page displays the current Unicode character (NT only)
    • The Find Dialog allows searches for Unicode text
    • The clipboard commands allow conversion to/from Unicode
18. Help
    • Extensive on-line help using HTML help
    • The help introduction explains all important binary file concepts from the very basics
    • The overview give an explanation of all the things HexEdit can do
    • The help reference section explains all commands, options etc in detail
    • All help pages are in "Browse Sequences"  (Previous/Next buttons) for easy skimming.
    • "Tips of the Day" explain things that are not obvious from just using the program
    • Tool tips for all tool bar buttons and status bar panes are provided
    • The Help/Keymap command displays the current key mappings
    • All dialogs have a help button
    • All dialog controls support popup help
    • Email the author for help, to report bugs etc right from within HexEdit
19. Tool Bars and Status Bar
    • 2 built-in toolbars provide quick access to common commands and the find and address tools
    • New look "flat" toolbars with grippers
    • Toolbars can be customized.  New toolbars can be added and deleted.>
    • Toolbar images can be changed.  You can even draw your own button images.
    • The status bar provides error and progress messages and several "panes" of info
    • One pane shows the current byte value in hex, decimal, octal, binary & ASCII/EBCDIC
    • The distance to mark panes show the distance from the cursor to the mark in hex and decimal
    • Other panes indicate read-only/read-write mode, overtype/insert mode and macro recording
    • Double clicking most panes toggles their status
    • Standard panes indicate Caps- and Num-Lock
20. File Handling
    • HexEdit does not include file handling facilities (eg, renaming, deleting etc of files)
    • File handling commands are available (indirectly) in the file ope/save dialogs by right-clicking
    • Customizable filter list for File/Open and File/Save dialogs
    • HexEdit remembers the directories last used for open, read, write selection, export etc
    • Select multiple files in the File Open dialog using Ctrl+click and Shift+click
    • Open multiple files on the command line, eg. "HexEdit  *.BMP" will open all .BMP files
    • There is an option to create backup copies of modified files
    • Drag and drop into HexEdit window
    • Option to add "Open with HexEdit" to Shell shortcut menus
    • Re-open up to 16 most recently used file from the File menu
    • Re-open any file previously opened from the "Recently Used Files" dialog
    • Open, Open Read-only, Remove etc from the Recently used files dialog
    • Sort files on date opened, name, size, date modified etc to help find that file
    • NEW Save All and Close All commands
    • Commands are provided to insert a file, or write the current selection to a file
    • Append Selection to File (avoids Windows 16 Mbyte clipboard restriction)
    • Append Same File adds to the end of the last file written or appended to
    • Append File and Append Same File allow building of a file from several large pieces
21. Miscellaneous
    • Windows Manager to control windows (save, close, tile etc)
    • User-defined tools, including command line options
    • Option to only allow a single instance of HexEdit to run
    • Multiple monitors under Windows 98/ME/2000/XP are supported
    • Context menus (right mouse button) provide quick access to common options
    • Several different context menus can be completely customized
    • Compare windows (to compare 2 files or 2 parts of the same file)
    • Support for international date and number formats (as set in the Control Panel)
    • Complete keyboard reconfigurability
    • HexEdit remembers window positions, display options etc
    • There are many other niceties that you will soon take for granted
22. Source Code
    • Complete C++/MFC source code is available for versions 1.1 and 2.0
    • Version 1.1 includes all files needed to build the program and help files
    • Version 2.0 requires the commercial BCG library for MFC
    • Visual C++ 6 project
    • Includes several reuseable components (e.g. timer class, boyer class)
    • STL compatible range_set efficiently stores sets of ints containing large chunks

Enhancements:

1.   The calculator has an improved look and many new features
   •  Evaluate any strongly typed (C-like) expression into the calculator
   •  Use brackets to enforce precedence
   •  Assign to variables including multi-dimensional arrays
   •  Variables are retained between invocations of HexEdit
   •  There is an option to clear all variables
   •  Integer variables can also be used with the hex and decimal jump tools (Standard Toolbar)
   •  Expressions can have any type (but only integer expressions work with the buttons)
   •  Drop down lists of previous values
   • •  hex/decimal jumps (including those used in the jump tools)
     •  available variables grouped by the 5 types (int, real, bool, string, date)
     •  available functions (and PI) grouped by the 5 types
     •  previously entered expressions
2.  Navigation Points - like an undo/redo but for the "edit" position
   •  Click the back/forward buttons to go to the previous/next edit position
   •  Select any nav point from the drop-down lists
   •  Drop-down lists are grouped by file (using sub-menus) to allow you easily find the point you want
   •  Nav points are always kept in strict chronological order (unlike in Visual Studio) to avoid confusion
   • A tip for each nav point shows the file position, description, etc
   •  HexEdit will reopen a file to return to a nav point
3.  The Options dialog has been further improved
   •  New tree view makes option page navigation very easy
   •  New workspace and history pages with many new options
   •  Many address display options: eg line numbers, addresses start at 1, etc
   •  Hex and decimal addresses (and line numbers) can be shown simultaneously
   •  New startup options - eg turn off splash screen
   •  Allow/prevent floating modeless dialogs to move out of the way of the cursor
   •  Complete control of abbreviated display of integers (eg K=1000/1024)
   •  Many new ruler options (see below)
   •  Control how fast autoscroll accelerates
   •  Many other simple but useful options
4.  Highly configurable ruler(s) - hex and/or decimal
   •  Easily toggle the ruler using menu item or tool bar button (Format Bar)
   •  Both rulers are shown if both hex and decimal addresses are shown
   •  Adjust how often ticks are displayed (separate for hex and decimal rulers)
   •  Adjust how often numbers are displayed in the rulers
   •  Cursor position can be shown in the ruler (and address area)
   •  Mouse position can be shown in the ruler (and address area)
5.  Handles are shown in the ruler that indicate row size, grouping and offset
   •  Hover over a handle to see the current setting
   •  Drag a handle to change the setting
   •  Row size handle also indicates if auto-fit is on (but does not prevent dragging)
6.  Explorer Window has an improved look and new features
7.  New Explorer Window columns and abilities
   •  New columns: Category, Comments etc
   •  Hide/show columns by right-clicking the header and selecting from the list
   •  Drag column header to reorder the columns
   •  Column size and order is remembered between uses of HexEdit
   •  Several template improvements (also see Expressions improvements below)
   • •  EVAL (expression evaluations) can now be the target for IF and CASE
   •  Greatly improves conditional evaluations (avoids use of ternary operator ?: )
   •  EVAL can now be the sole element in a STRUCT
   •  Many improved example templates
   • •  PE (EXE, DLL etc) now supports display of .NET CLI data
8.  Improved expression functions and testability
   •  GetInt now supports spin buttons and min/max values
   •  GetBool now allows user to press the first letter of button text (eg Y for Yes, N for No, etc)
   •  Variable names can be escaped with an @ symbol (eg to differentiate a name from a hex constant)
   •  Expressions can easily be tested in the calculator
   •  All available functions can be seen in the calculator "Functions" menu (grouped by return type)
9.  Better file position preservation when
   •  Window is resized and AutoFit mode is on
   •  Number of columns increased or decreased, etc
10.  Small fixes for some dialogs with non-standard DPI (eg 120 DPI)

Requirements:

• Windows
  

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