How to view and edit Binary files in Visual Studio Code
# How to view and edit Binary files in Visual Studio Code
Microsoft developed a Hex editor VS Code extension that can be used to view andedit binary files.
You can install the extension by:
- Clicking on Extensions in the left sidebar.
- You can also open the Extensions menu by pressing:
Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows or LinuxCommand + Shift + X on macOS
- Typing Hex Editor.
- Clicking on the Install button.
Make sure to install the Hex Editor extension that was developed byMicrosoft as shown in the code sample.
# Opening a binary file in Visual Studio Code
To open a binary file:
- Right-click on the file and click on Open With....
- Click on Hex Editor.
An alternative way to open a file is to:
- Select the binary file.
- Press:
Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows and LinuxCommand + Shift + P on macOS
Note: you can also press F1 to open the Command Palette.
- Type Hex editor and select Hex editor: Open active file in HexEditor.
Once you open the file, you will be able to view the binary data and the decodedtext.
If you click on a specific cell, more detailed information is shown.
# Editing a Binary file in Visual Studio Code
You can edit the binary file by selecting a specific cell and typing a newvalue.
You can save the changes with:
Ctrl + s on Windows and LinuxCommand + s on macOS
If you need to switch to the default text editor:
- Type Reopen editor and select View Reopen Editor With:.
- Select Text Editor.
The hex editor supports opening various files, e.g. text files, images, binary(.bin) files, etc.
# Setting the Hex editor as the default editor for specific files
You can also set the Hex editor as the default editor for certain file types byediting your settings.json file.
You can open your settings.json file by:
- Pressing
Ctrl + Shift + P (or Command + Shift + P on macOS).
Note: you can also press F1 to open the Command Palette.
- Typing
settings.json.
- Clicking on Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
For example, the following lines of code set the hex editor as the defaulteditor for files with .hex or .ini extensions.
settings.json
Copied!
"workbench.editorAssociations": { "*.hex": "hexEditor.hexedit", "*.ini": "hexEditor.hexedit"},
# Supported features
The hex editor supports:
- Opening files as hex.
- Viewing the hex values as different data types.
- Editing with undo, redo, copy and paste support.
- Find and replace functionality.
# Additional Resources
You can learn more about the related topics by checking out the followingtutorials:
I am an enthusiast with a deep understanding of Visual Studio Code and binary file manipulation. My expertise stems from extensive hands-on experience and a comprehensive grasp of the concepts involved. Now, let's delve into the information provided in the article:
1. Hex Editor Extension Installation:
- Microsoft developed a Hex editor VS Code extension for viewing and editing binary files.
- Installation involves navigating to Extensions in the left sidebar or using shortcuts (Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows/Linux, Command + Shift + X on macOS).
- Typing "Hex Editor" and clicking on the Install button installs the extension.
2. Opening a Binary File:
- To open a binary file, right-click on the file, select "Open With...," and click on "Hex Editor."
- Alternatively, select the binary file, and use shortcuts (Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows/Linux, Command + Shift + P on macOS), then type "Hex editor" and select "Hex editor: Open active file in HexEditor" from the Command Palette (F1 can also be used).
3. Viewing and Editing Binary Files:
- After opening a file in Hex Editor, users can view binary data and decoded text.
- Clicking on a specific cell provides more detailed information.
- Editing is possible by selecting a cell and typing a new value.
- Save changes with shortcuts (Ctrl + S on Windows/Linux, Command + S on macOS).
- To switch to the default text editor, type "Reopen editor," select "View Reopen Editor With," and choose "Text Editor."
4. Setting Hex Editor as the Default Editor:
- Users can set the Hex editor as the default for specific file types in the settings.json file.
- Open settings.json using shortcuts (Ctrl + Shift + P or Command + Shift + P on macOS) and type "settings.json."
- Add lines in settings.json to associate file extensions with the Hex editor.
5. Supported Features:
- The Hex editor supports opening files as hex and viewing hex values as different data types.
- Editing capabilities include undo, redo, copy, and paste support.
- Find and replace functionality is also provided.
6. Additional Resources:
- The article concludes with additional resources, suggesting tutorials on topics such as using VS Code as the default Git editor, generating Lorem Ipsum, working with SQLite, and addressing memory or CPU issues in VS Code.
In summary, the article guides users through installing the Hex editor extension, opening and editing binary files, setting the Hex editor as the default, and highlights its supported features. The provided shortcuts and commands enhance the user's efficiency in navigating and utilizing Visual Studio Code for binary file manipulation.
FAQs
One popular method for opening binary files online is by using a hex editor. Hex editors allow you to view and edit the raw hexadecimal code of a file, making it possible to modify the individual bytes and bits that make up the data.
How to view binary files in VS Code? ›
Usage
- In the vscode explorer right-click the binary file.
- Choose 'Open With...'.
- If there is more than 1 viewer registered for the file type all viewers will show up, e.g.:
- Choose 'Configure default editor for ...'
- In the next window select the 'Binary File Viewer'.
One popular method for opening binary files online is by using a hex editor. Hex editors allow you to view and edit the raw hexadecimal code of a file, making it possible to modify the individual bytes and bits that make up the data.
How to view the contents of a bin file? ›
One of the simplest ways to view a bin file online is by using an online file viewer. There are several websites that offer free bin file viewing services. All you have to do is upload the bin file to the website, and the tool will convert it into a readable format, allowing you to view its contents.
How do I view files in VS Code? ›
Hold Ctrl and press Tab to view a list of all files open in an editor group. To open one of these files, use Tab again to pick the file you want to navigate to, then release Ctrl to open it. Alternatively, you can use Ctrl+Alt+- and Ctrl+Shift+- to navigate between files and edit locations.
How to visualize binary files? ›
For visualizing binary data, you can create a binary chart or use a hexadecimal representation. Additionally, consider using tools like binary trees or bar graphs to represent patterns and relationships within the binary data.
What is the tool to view binary files? ›
Online Hex Viewer is another simple and easy-to-use tool for viewing binary files online. This tool allows you to upload a binary file and view its contents in a hexadecimal format. It also provides options to search, replace, and analyze the binary data, making it a versatile tool for anyone working with binary files.
Can a binary file be edited? ›
An advantage of programs stored in binary is that they can be executed very quickly because they are smaller than text files with an equivalent amount of data. By default, we cannot view or edit binary files with normal programs or text editors. Instead, we need special utilities and hex editors to access binary files.
How do I explore a binary file? ›
You can inspect the details of a binary's header using readelf and use the ldd program to find out which shared objects a binary depends on and which library versions the binary expects. You can use a hex-dumping program called xxd to display the bytes of a file in hexadecimal representation.
What can a binary file be viewed or edited with? ›
A hex editor is a computer program used to view and edit binary files. A binary file is a file that contains data in machine-readable form (as apposed to a text file which can be read by a human - see Figure 1).
To open the Binary Editor on an existing file, go to menu File > Open > File, select the file you want to edit, then select the drop arrow next to the Open button, and choose Open With > Binary Editor.
How can I read a binary file? ›
To read from a binary file
- Use the ReadAllBytes method, which returns the contents of a file as a byte array. This example reads from the file C:/Documents and Settings/selfportrait. ...
- For large binary files, you can use the Read method of the FileStream object to read from the file only a specified amount at a time.
Binary files are usually thought of as being a sequence of bytes, which means the binary digits (bits) are grouped in eights. Binary files typically contain bytes that are intended to be interpreted as something other than text characters.
How do I see all files in Visual Studio Code? ›
Search across files. VS Code allows you to quickly search over all files in the currently opened folder. Press ⇧⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F) and enter your search term. Search results are grouped into files containing the search term, with an indication of the hits in each file and its location.
How do I open all files in VS Code? ›
Open Multiple Files
- Install. Follow the instructions in the Marketplace, or run the following in the command palette: ext install fabiospampinato.vscode-open-multiple-files.
- Usage. It adds 1 command to the command palette: 'Open Multiple Files' // Open all files at once, optionally filtering by a glob. ...
- Settings. ...
- License.
The steps involved in reading data from a binary file are the same as for reading data from a text file: Create an input stream and open the file, read the data, close the file. The main difference lies in the way you check for the end-of-file marker in a binary file.
How do I view file encoding in VS Code? ›
Set the file encoding globally or per workspace by using the files.encoding setting in User Settings or Workspace Settings. You can view the file encoding in the status bar. Click on the encoding button in the status bar to reopen or save the active file with a different encoding. Then choose an encoding.
How do I view a dot file in VS Code? ›
Open a Graphviz/Dot file in the active editor and use either of the following methods to render the preview: (a) open the command prompt (cmd+shift+p) and type > graphviz preview. (b) click the. button in the editor title.
How do I compare two binary files in VS Code? ›
Open The Diff Viewer
- Open the Explorer view.
- Right click on the first file and choose Select For Compare.
- Right click on the second file and choose Compare With Selected.
