FoxBin2Prg (Ver ayuda en Español)
Creator and Project Manager: Fernando D. Bozzo
Demo video:
See YouTube demo video of FoxBin2Prg used with PlasticSCMWhat is FoxBin2Prg and how to use it?
It is a program intended to be used with SCM tools (Source Code Managers, like VSS, CVS, SVN) and DVCS tools (like Git, Mercurial, Plastic, and others), or as standalone program for Diff (seen differences) and Merge operations, that pretends to substitute SccText(X) and TwoFox and enhance their functionality, generating bidirectional PRG-Style versions that permits to recreate the original binary file.Advantages:
- It generates "PRG" style programas (no compilables), for visual comparison
- It enables the change of the Text version as easy as modifying a PRG
- All the program code is in just one PRG, to simplify its maintainability
- With Text versions you can regenerate the original binaries, so it is useful as backup
- The extensions are configurable if you create the FOXBIN2PRG.CFG file
- Inheritance of CFG configuration files between directories
- Methods and properties of Text version are alphabetically sorted for easy comparison
- Can set "UseClassPerFile" setting to create individual files by class or DBC member
- Take adventage of the API using foxbin2prg as an object
- It has compatibility with SccText/X at parameter level so can be used as sustitute with SourceSafe
- Productivity: You can create a shortcut in the "SendTo" folder on your user Windows Profile, so you can "send" the selected file (pjx,pj2,etc) to Foxbin2prg.exe and make on-the-fly conversions
- Modify TX2 Prg-Style versions with MODIFY COMMAND (without compile) to see coloured syntax, or even use the Document View to navigate the procedures
- Get back your SourceSafe projects (.pjx) from their .pjm files
Currently is supported the conversion between PJX,SCX,VCX,FRX,LBX,DBC,DBF and MNX files, for which a TEXT version is generated with PJ2,SC2,VC2,FR2,LB2,DC2,DB2 and MN2 extensions, and can be reconfigured to compatibilize with SCCAPI (just tested with SourceSafe).
Use
FoxBin2Prg can be used in two ways:EXE version: (Recommended and fastest)
Have almost all inside, you just want foxbin2prg.exe, foxbin2prg.cfg y filename_caps.exe/cfg.
PRG version:
You need various files: foxbin2prg.prg, all the props*.txt files, foxbin2prg.cfg y filename_caps.exe/cfg.
Note: All mentioned files need to be in the same folder. You can't use just the PRG without the rest of the mentioned files.
To use FoxBin2Prg from the File Explorer, you can create 3 shortcuts of FoxBin2Prg.exe and move them to "SendTo" folder on your Windows profile, so you can "send" the selected file (pjx,pj2,etc) to the selected option, and make on-the-fly conversions, then rename and edit those shortcuts as this (make sure you can see system file extensions):
Name------------------------ Right-click/Properties/destination----------- FoxBin2Prg - Binary2Text.lnk <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "BIN2PRG-SHOWMSG" FoxBin2Prg - Text2Binary.lnk <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "PRG2BIN-SHOWMSG" FoxBin2Prg.lnk <path>\foxbin2prg.exe "INTERACTIVE-SHOWMSG"
(Actually with the 3rd option you can substitute the other two, using only one option)
- With "BIN2PRG" or "PRG2BIN" options, you can process directories or individual files, but for the corresponding type of convertion
- With just FoxBin2Prg.exe you can process directories or individual files for any type of convertion
- With the "INTERACTIVE" option, a confirmation dialog will be shown when processing a directory with just FoxBin2Prg without BIN2PRG or PRG2BIN options, asking what to convert. This option actually make unnecesary the previous options for BIN2PRG and PRG2BIN
- With the "SHOWMSG" option a ststus message will be shown on termination
Important note: When you process a directory, it is used as the base for the compilation of binaries, and because of this, never process more than one directory in the same process, because the compilation may not be ok. To process more than one directory (or project), just select and process each one independently, in parallel if you like, but in different processes
Example of FOXBIN2PRG.CFG configuration file if need to change extensions
extension: SC2=SCA extension: VC2=VCA extension: PJ2=PJA ...
Using the "EXE" version: (useful for calling from 3rd.party programs)
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\file.scx" | Generates the Text version sc2 extension |
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\file.sc2" | Regenerates the Binary version with scx extension |
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pjx" "*" | Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, including the PJX |
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pj2" "*" | Regenerates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2 |
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pjx" "*-" | Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, excluding the PJX |
FOXBIN2PRG.EXE "<path>\proj.pj2" "*" | find /V "" | Regenerates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2 and outputs to stdOut |
Using the "PRG" version:
DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.scx" | Generates the Text version sc2 extension |
DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\file.sc2" | Regenerates the Binary version with scx extension |
DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pjx", "*" | Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, including the PJX |
DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pj2", "*" | Regenerates the Binary files for all the files in the PJ2 |
DO FOXBIN2PRG.PRG WITH "<path>\proj.pjx", "*-" | Generates the Text files for all the files in the PJX, excluding the PJX |
Using the "Object" version:
LOCAL loCnv AS c_foxbin2prg OF "FOXBIN2PRG.PRG" loCnv = NEWOBJECT("c_foxbin2prg", "FOXBIN2PRG.PRG", "FOXBIN2PRG.EXE") loCnv.execute( <params> )
Syntax:
There are some differences in the parameters when you call fobin2prg.exe from the outside (with RUN or from another EXE), or when using it as an object and work directly with the "execute" method, which is more flexible and have more options:
EXE/object | Parameters | Return value |
---|---|---|
FoxBin2Prg.EXE | cInputFile [,cType [,cTextName [,lGenText [,cDontShowErrors [,cDebug [,cDontShowProgress [,cOriginalFileName [,cRecompile [,cNoTimestamps [,cCFG_File] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] | ErrorLevel 0=OK, 1=ERR |
obj.execute() | cInputFile [,cType [,cTextName [,lGenText [,cDontShowErrors [,cDebug [,cDontShowProgress [,oModule [,oEx [,lRelanzarError [,cOriginalFileName [,cRecompile [,cNoTimestamps [,cBackupLevels [,cClearUniqueID [,cOptimizeByFilestamp [,cCFG_File] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] | 0=OK, num=VFP Error code |
Note: When using the EXE, if using any combination of ("-BIN2PRG", "-PRG2BIN", "-INTERACTIVE", "-SHOWMSG"), cType and cInputFile parameters can be swapped. This is useful when dealing with Windows shortcuts, on which fixed parameters must be in the shortcut and the filename is an external variable parameter received when SendingTo FoxBin2Prg with right-click on File Manager.
<params> are: | Param.Type and Description (!=Required | ?=Optional) (@=by reference | v=by value), (IN/OUT) |
---|---|
cInputFile | (v! IN ) Fullpath of the file to convert. For VSS compatibility, can have a cType letter to query the support type. |
cType | (v? IN ) For VSS compatibility, indicates the file type (d=DBC, D=DBF, K=Form, B=Label, M=Menu, R=Report, V=Class), -or- indicates some extra combinable options separated by "-" => "-BIN2PRG-PRG2BIN-INTERACTIVE-SHOWMSG" -or- can be a "*" (only when cInputFile is a PJX/PJ2) which indicates that all project files must be processed |
cTextName | (v? IN ) For VSS compatibility, name of the Text version of the file |
lGenText | (v? IN ) For VSS compatibility, .T.=Generate Text, .F.=Generate Binary. Note: cType have predominance over lGenText |
cDontShowErrors | (v? IN )'1' for NOT showing errors with MESSAGEBOX |
cDebug | (v? IN )'1' for debugging on the error point (just development mode) |
cDontShowProgress | (v? IN )'1' for NOT showing the progress bar |
cOriginalFileName | (v? IN ) For cases when inputFile is a temp name and you want the correct original name (for example: inside PJ2 files and headers) |
cRecompile | (v? IN ) If a Path is provided, the binary is recompiled from it. If called from SCCAPI, it's True, else it's False |
oModulo | (@? OUT) Internal use for Unit Testing |
oEx | (@? OUT) Exception object |
cNoTimestamps | (v? IN )'1' or empty for clearing timestamp, '0' for not clearing it |
cBackupLevels | (v? IN ) Number of backup levels for converted files. '0'=No backups, default is '1' .bak |
cClearUniqueID | (v? IN )'1' or empty for clearing UIDs inside tx2, '0' for not clearing it. Default is '1' |
cOptimizeByFilestamp | (v? IN )'1' for not regenerating target file when it's timestamp is grater than source file. Default is '0' (disabled) |
cCFG_File | (v? IN ) Allow indicating a CFG in a special directory |
Note: Please read the README.txt and FoxBin2Prg.cfg.txt files for more technical info.
Keep reading:
> FoxBin2Prg Internals and Configuration> FoxBin2Prg and use with SCM tools
> FoxBin2Prg Full Change History