File dumper/patcher / News: Recent posts

*** Actual Additions and bug fixes ***
Legend:
+ = Addition/modification
! = Bug fix

+ Added support for reading huge text files for the -F/-F!
flags or options, whose lines might exceed 1 MB before an
end of line terminator is encountered
+ Added support for meta characters within the search string
of the -F/-F! flags, where line(s) can be printed out based
upon a number or line number range, as in: "\L07-0x45c"
+ Greatly increased the searching power for strings in
large "binary" files for the -F/-F! flags
! Fixed a false positive bug with the case insensitive
search feature of the -F/-F! flags... read more

*** Actual Additions and bug fixes ***
Legend:
+ = Addition/modification
! = Bug fix

+ Added support for Bases 2-36 in the -m (mode flag)
+ Added support for Base85 (ascii85) in the -m (mode flag)
+ Added support for decoding Base85 (ascii85) text files

These are the new features/bug fixes added to version 0.0.6.9
over the prior release 0.0.6.8

[Binary]
An executable program file is included in this release for
Windows-based computers. It is named fdump.exe and was
compiled with Dev-C++ 4.9.9.2 on Windows XP. There is
also now a pre-compiled binary for Linux.... read more

*** Actual Additions and bug fixes ***

Legend:

+ = Addition/modification

! = Bug fix

+ Added a find strings function and find not strings function using

these flags respectively; -F, -F!

+ Added a count operation flag or the -C option. Currently supported

operations are the -F and -F! options. It will display the number

of matched lines for these operations

+ Added a line number for output flag or option. The -L option or flag... read more

Programming of the new release will commence within the next few weeks. Below are the proposed additions, which are subject to change as the new release is finalized. Any questions/comments, please post within the forums.

[0.0.6.8]
- ROT13 algorithm
- ROT47 algorithm
- [-R] recursive flag; used as in recursive file copying
- "Convert and copy" feature; that is, -u flag will modify a destination file
not the original. Proposed flag is -C (upper or title case)
- Any bug fixes

A compiled Linux binary of the fdump program is now available for your
use. Also, the source code zip archive now includes a man page named
fdump.1 for your system's man page repository and the main source
code file is fully integrated for Windows and Linux systems.

*** Actual Additions and bug fixes ***
Legend:
+ = Addition/modification
! = Bug fix

+ Changed the usage screen slightly for -f so that it makes it clear
that the operator is a relational one; i.e., (-f <REL_OP> <VALUE>)
+ implemented -u [rVALUE|VALUE-VALUE1,REPLACE_VALUE,[r]VALUE|VALUE-VALUE1,REPLACE_VALUE...N]
(r operator means "replace")
+ implemented -u [ddVALUE|VALUE-VALUE1,[dd]VALUE|VALUE-VALUE1...N]
(dd operator means "delete data value")
+ Added full md5 support as a new mode for regular files and from STDIN
! Fixed a bug with the Base32 encoder's display output when updates are to TTY,
where update match octets on new lines were not being hi-lited
+ Added full sha1 support as a new mode for regular files and from STDIN
! STDIN checking was not being enforced with the -t[o] option as this is
unsupported with this flag
+ Added new decoding feature that can decode Base2 (bits) files back into
their original binary formats; -d B[b]2 FILE
+ Completely re-wrote the -t (strings) scanning function so that it is
orders of magnitude faster and exponentially more accurate in determining
strings of ANSI characters and their associated offsets

*** Actual Additions and bug fixes ***
Legend:
+ = Addition/modification
! = Bug fix

+ Add newline to terminal before program exits (for Linux)
+ Added Ctrl-C handlers for Windows and Linux
! fix -to so that if mode specified, it works before and after -to
! Fixed -r option as it had a bug in the file write buffer
+ Added complete free-form command-line handling
+ Added trunc with size option --> -u [x,100]
+ Added full relational operator (<,<=,>,>=,=,!=) support to the -f option
+ Added a byte swapping function for all offsets within a disk file (not STDIN)
+ Prevent display of the '.' character beyond EOF on for the -m clx "" option
! Fixed the acceptance of from STDIN (-) on the -m clx "" option
+ Added <<fdump>> banner in the display output for the usage screen
+ Added full "long options" support; e.g., --create
+ Added this banner to the -h output's first line "FDUMP: General file manipulation program."
+ Added a new "long option" `--create' that can create a new file
+ Allowed the -a command line option to create a file if it does not exist;
note, the --create command line option is a synonym for -a 0|-a 0 X<--(value ignored)
+ Added full inter-whitespace (single space character or tab) throughout the command line;
Fdump implements its own internal parser now, though script files are not supported;
for example, fdump FILE -u " [ 0 -1 ^87 , 57| 32] " is now a valid command
line, where before it would have been completely invalid
+ Added additional file information for the -s option such as, file creation, modification,
access times and the file size in bytes, KB, MB or GB on the same line depending upon size
! Fixed a bug in printing output when two or more files were processed between each file's output
+ Completely re-did the usage display output so that it is much clearer and easier to understand
as fdump's command-line has become complex
+ Added the full delete offsets option on regular files allowing N number of offset(s)
to be deleted from a file including interspersed ranges; aka, "swiss-cheese" a file
+ changed the command-line argument for -i to -a (for append) as it really extends a file
past its current last offset. -i historically meant (increase), but this is now reserved
for the `i' operator within the -u [] context for (insert)
+ Added a new overloaded form to the -u [] construct that swaps all offsets specified; e.g.,
-u [0-4<>72-76...N] within a disk file
+ Added brand new insertion method as a new overloaded form to -u [i...]; inserts one or more
offsets directly into a disk file, growing its size proportionately
! Fixed bug in mode handler when outputting more than one file; its state was not being reset,
so output per line was not consistent after the first file was processed on a given mode
! Fixed bug in B64 mode if a padding character was specified; it was outputting the padding
character, even on the last octet processed
+ Made the error printout for -d b[B]16 consistent with Base64/32 errors if an invalid character
was detected within the input sequence

The version is 0.0.6.5 This version introduces the following:
* allow -k switch to copy files that are zero bytes in length
* allow full free form commandline handling of switch clustering for
-t{o} and -k{y}; e.g., -to|-ot and -yk|-ky are all valid
* fixed bug in -k switch if - (STDIN) was specified; this is invalid
* Provider a cleaner and faster mechanism for write DMA allocation/
deallocation internal handling
* added a file extension construct -i; that is, growing a file past
its last offset with a default octet value of zero if none was
specified
* added a new display mode `clx' that is used in dumping entire files
to STDOUT in a classic Hex editor display look
These are the new features added to version 0.0.6.5
over the prior release 0.0.6.4

The version is 0.0.6.4 This version introduces
numerous performance enhancements including a
new DMA allocator, cached writes and several
other improvements including: invalid pad
termination on the B64/B32 decoder/parsers,
where an invalid padding sequence at the end
of the encoded file is now immediately detected,
instead of having to perform a linear scan of
the file. When all offsets are matched within
a -p or -u [] construct newer code was made to
terminate the sequence instead of having to scan
for any unmatched offsets. Fixed a minor bug
in the -c option when both files are identical
in size, but one or more offsets differ; it pro-
duced a shorter by error prompt for one of the
files. Added a new "fast copy" routine accessed
from the commandline via the new -k option. This
new copying mechanism allows copying one or more
files to a destination very quickly, while the files
are not translated during the operation; this may
change in a future release; i.e., convert and copy
a file. Speeds exceeding 22 MB/sec on sustained
writes are achievable on modern hardware. A new
"yes" option (-y), has been added to fdump, that allows
for now, the -k switch to overwrite existing files.
Clustering of the -k{y} switches is also supported.
These are the new features added to version 0.0.6.4
over the prior release 0.0.6.3

[General]
The version is 0.0.6.3 This version introduces
powerful new features and performance improvements,
such that version 0.0.6.3 abrogates all previous
releases of fdump. Unless you need a prior release
for historic and/or basic research purposes, there
are no good reasons to use previous releases.
Version 0.0.6.3 introduces significant performance
increases for certain areas of the code, particulary
the mode generic interface. Mode64 calls are now
done within one call if printing only an octet at
a time (non-cumulative mode). Version 0.0.6.3 also
introduces a Hex dump reconstitution feature; that is,
a Hex dumped file can be converted right back into
its original binary format. There is a completely new
Base32 (not Base32Hex) encoder/decoder that can dump/
re-encode Base32 files. The -f option now prints out
a count of all offset(s) that match the input octet
value. A performance improvement was made on the -p []
construct when interacting with STDIN such that, when
all offset(s) are found, fdump will immediately exit
instead of waiting until EOF or stream. The -d option
was restructured to handle multiple encodings and more
in the future. More flexibility of command line syntax
was introduced to allow {B|b} for specifying modes, such
as: fdump -d b32 file.exe or fdump -d B32 file.exe etc...
The Base64 decoder had an output bug that would on
occasion, emit too many octets within the re-encoded file.
Both the Base64 and Base32 decoders (parsers) were made
much more robust in their error handling of corrupt
input streams. The Base64 decoder/parser is considerably
more strict in what it will accept as a Base64 encoded
disk file. Furthermore, the current decoders will attempt
to remove the output disk files that they created if there
were any errors and support for decoding more than one file
at a time has been added. Lastly, a byte swapping function
that is written in GAS Assembly syntax was added. These are
the new features added to version 0.0.6.3 over the prior re-
lease 0.0.6.2

The version is 0.0.6.2 This version introduces support for options clustering, a new option -o for printing offsets on registered operations and a strings printing feature -t that will print ANSI strings out of a file, including executable files. These are the new features added to version 0.0.6.2 over the prior release 0.0.6.1

Version 0.0.6.1 Fdump provides low-level access
to files including all arithmetic, bitwise logical
as well as random access ranges, an integrated
B64 encoder/decoder, file comparison utility,
byte or octet value search feature, file span-
ning/file reconstitution feature as well as other
capabilities. Fdump can easily scramble/un-
scramble part or all of disk files. New features
are already being added at the time of this
writing.