Hex editor
Encyclopedia
A hex editor is a type of computer program
that allows a user to manipulate the fundamental binary
(0 / 1, zero / one) data that makes up computer file
s. Note that computer files can be very small (just a name, with no content) to very large (content spanning multiple hard disks). A typical computer file occupies multiple areas on the platter(s) of a disk drive, whose contents are put together to form the file. Hex editors that were designed to read ("parse") and edit sector
data from the physical segments of floppy
or hard disk
s were sometimes called sector editors or disk editor
s.
By using a hex editor, a user can see or edit the raw and exact contents of a file, as opposed to the interpretation of the same content that other, higher level application software
may associate with the file format
. For example, this could be raw image data, in contrast to the way image editing software would interpret and show the same file.
In most hex editor applications, the data
of the computer file is represented as hexadecimal
values grouped in 4 groups of 4 byte
s, followed by one group of 16 ASCII
characters which are derived from each pair of hex values (each byte). Non-printable ASCII characters (e.g. Bell) and characters that would take more than one character space (e.g. tab) are typically represented by a dot (".") in the following ASCII field.
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
that allows a user to manipulate the fundamental binary
Binary file
A binary file is a computer file which may contain any type of data, encoded in binary form for computer storage and processing purposes; for example, computer document files containing formatted text...
(0 / 1, zero / one) data that makes up computer file
Computer file
A computer file is a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage. A file is durable in the sense that it remains available for programs to use after the current program has finished...
s. Note that computer files can be very small (just a name, with no content) to very large (content spanning multiple hard disks). A typical computer file occupies multiple areas on the platter(s) of a disk drive, whose contents are put together to form the file. Hex editors that were designed to read ("parse") and edit sector
Disk sector
In computer disk storage, a sector is a subdivision of a track on a magnetic disk or optical disc. Each sector stores a fixed amount of user data. Traditional formatting of these storage media provides space for 512 bytes or 2048 bytes of user-accessible data per sector...
data from the physical segments of floppy
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
or hard disk
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
s were sometimes called sector editors or disk editor
Disk editor
A disk editor is a computer program that allows its user to read, edit, and write raw data on disk drives ; as such, they are sometimes called sector editors, since the read/write routines built into the electronics of most disk drives require to read/write data in...
s.
Details
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
may associate with the file format
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
. For example, this could be raw image data, in contrast to the way image editing software would interpret and show the same file.
In most hex editor applications, the data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
of the computer file is represented as hexadecimal
Hexadecimal
In mathematics and computer science, hexadecimal is a positional numeral system with a radix, or base, of 16. It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols 0–9 to represent values zero to nine, and A, B, C, D, E, F to represent values ten to fifteen...
values grouped in 4 groups of 4 byte
Byte
The byte is a unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, a byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the basic addressable element in many computer...
s, followed by one group of 16 ASCII
ASCII
The American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a character-encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications equipment, and other devices that use text...
characters which are derived from each pair of hex values (each byte). Non-printable ASCII characters (e.g. Bell) and characters that would take more than one character space (e.g. tab) are typically represented by a dot (".") in the following ASCII field.
See also
- Comparison of hex editorsComparison of hex editors- General :- Features :-Notes:ao: ANSI is the Windows character set, OEM is the DOS character set. Both are based on ASCII.-See also:*Hex editor*Comparison of**word processors**integrated development environments**HTML editors**text editors...
- Hex dumpHex dumpIn computing, a hex dump is a hexadecimal view of computer data, from RAM or from a file or storage device. Each byte is represented as a two-digit hexadecimal number. Hex dumps are commonly organized into rows of 8 or 16 bytes, sometimes separated by whitespaces...
- Disk editorDisk editorA disk editor is a computer program that allows its user to read, edit, and write raw data on disk drives ; as such, they are sometimes called sector editors, since the read/write routines built into the electronics of most disk drives require to read/write data in...