Decode an unknow file format

[gladius]

Hello guys,

I'm very curious on how a skilled coder decode and create a program for an unknow file format?

Thanks, Gladius.

[Scriptonite]

Kind of a vague question. I don't consider myself a skilled programmer but there are lots of resources for unknown file types. I prefer http://www.openwith.org/ for unknown extensions. It gives you a new option in your right click.

If you mean making your own file format for your own software see this thread:
http://www.indigorose.com/forums/sho...tom+extensions

[jassing]

Originally Posted by gladius

Hello guys,

I'm very curious on how a skilled coder decode and create a program for an unknow file format?

Thanks, Gladius.

Are you talking a single file as a 'data file'? if so; there's a program called DataJunction that can help identify.

If you just want to "id" a file -- google for "trid".

You, at the very least, need to know what KIND of file you're looking at, before you can start analyzing it's parts.

[gladius]

Let me explain it better:

Example: There is a new program with a new extension, How can another coder make a program to read that new file extension without knowing anything about it? How can he decode all the data from the file?



And another doubt: How can a person make a sound player from the beggining?, explaning bettter, How to make a sound player program that read *.mp3 files without the need of pre-built DLL's? How can a person make his own mp3 DLL player? Does he need to code in assembly?

[Sakuya]

I'm not sure this magical script that can decode any format exists.

[Ulrich]

Originally Posted by gladius

Example: There is a new program with a new extension, How can another coder make a program to read that new file extension without knowing anything about it? How can he decode all the data from the file?

It is impossible to read or decode a file when the file structure is unknown.

And another doubt: How can a person make a sound player from the beggining?, explaning bettter, How to make a sound player program that read *.mp3 files without the need of pre-built DLL's? How can a person make his own mp3 DLL player? Does he need to code in assembly?

MP3 is a file format developed and patented by the Fraunhofer Institute, and you need to pay for a license to decode and play back files in this format. If you don't want to pay for a license, use a open standards file format, like OGG.

Ulrich

[Scriptonite]

Originally Posted by gladius View Post
Example: There is a new program with a new extension, How can another coder make a program to read that new file extension without knowing anything about it? How can he decode all the data from the file?

You need to open the file in it's native application and analyze how the program handles it and processes the file. There is no "easy way" that I am aware of to accomplish this. Even with all the right tools it can still be an extensive, tedious process.

I'm not sure this magical script that can decode any format exists.

Would be nice though wouldn't it...............how much less aggravating would "new" Microsoft formats be.........................

[gladius]

Hello guys,

I really don't want to make something like that, I'm only curios on how to make something like that. Like, If I want to make a new program or DLL to play .OGG song files, What Will I need to do that? Should I know a low level language? Is there any possible way to do that without knowing how to decode that?. And Whats is all that unknow symbols when you open any uknow file with notepd?

Sorry for my noobs questions, but I'm very curios about that things.

Thanks, Gladius

**Another thing: How hard is to to make a compiler???

[jassing]

There is no way to "decode an unknown file format"

For instance -- let's say I come out with "josh's image format" .JIF
I designed it -- how on earth can you decode it since it's unknown to you? youcan't. You need to KNOW the image format to decode it.

-josh
Another thing: don't hijack threads, even if they're your own.

[gladius]

I'm only curious, don't need to be rude.

[Scriptonite]

Not be be off putting, but I don't think anyone here is going to teach you to be a hacker. This is place to talk about creating new and useful software (and related items), not a discussion on how to tear someones work apart. I'm new to this forum, and I don't mean to speak out of turn, but pay your dues man and learn to code. Get some books, take some classes, use some free software, and learn. If it was easy and automatic everyone would do it and no one would have their own software or proprietary files. There are a lot of superb coders on this forum who have more than paid their dues and help people on here because of their love of programming, not because they have to. And they want to see people with the same passion to learn and help others, not people just looking for hand outs. Otherwise it starts to feel like a waste of time and people burn out. Then it's ruined for everybody. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.

[Sakuya]

Originally Posted by gladius

Hello guys,

I really don't want to make something like that, I'm only curios on how to make something like that. Like, If I want to make a new program or DLL to play .OGG song files, What Will I need to do that? Should I know a low level language? Is there any possible way to do that without knowing how to decode that?. And Whats is all that unknow symbols when you open any uknow file with notepd?

Sorry for my noobs questions, but I'm very curios about that things.

Thanks, Gladius

**Another thing: How hard is to to make a compiler???

The 'unknown symbols' when you open an 'unknown' file is actually binary.

[jassing]

Originally Posted by gladius

I'm only curious, don't need to be rude.

Sorry if you found my response(s) rude -- I didn't mean to be rude; please tell me what was rude so I may avoid rudeness in the future.

[Lorne]

It's called "reverse engineering" and it is extremely difficult.

In some parts of the world (most notably the U.S.) it may even be illegal, depending on what you're attempting to reverse engineer.

Generally you can't just take a data file and reverse engineer it without knowing something about how it is used. But if you have access to the software that uses it, you can use advanced tools to examine every action taken upon it and figure it out.

[gladius]

Hello Guys,

I don't want to hack anything, I was curios, because I saw a DLL that can play a lot of sound formats and I was curious how they do that, because when we make a program that play music in AMS we only gave the command to play it, not the whole code to make the app recognize the format and interpret all the data on it.

The 'unknown symbols' when you open an 'unknown' file is actually binary.

Thanks

Sorry if you found my response(s) rude -- I didn't mean to be rude; please tell me what was rude so I may avoid rudeness in the future.

I told before that I was a noob and I don't have a very good english, sometimes I can missunderstood. nevermind that and thanks for helping.

It's called "reverse engineering" and it is extremely difficult.

I know it, but this is not what I meant.