README file for b2c version 2.2
Copyright (c) 1991-2000 Joerg Heitkoetter. All rights reserved.


USER COMMANDS                                              B2C(1)

NAME
     b2c - a binary to C file converter

SYNOPSIS
     b2c  [-hvCHO]  [-c  #columns]  [-i identifier] [-t type] [-o
     file] [-D sizemacro] [-G guardmacro] file(s)

DESCRIPTION
     b2c is a tool for generating C source  chunks  or  C  header
     files from binaries.  b2c automagically generates complete C
     header files which can directly be included using the C pre-
     processors's  #include  directive. (See the APPLICATION sec-
     tion below.)  By default b2c encodes it's output  into  hex-
     adecimal constants, which can be changed if (See the follow-
     ing OPTIONS section.)

OPTIONS
     b2c recognizes the following options:

     -C   Use decimal encoding of output constants.

     -H   Use hexadecimal encoding of output constants.

     -O   Use octal encoding of output constants.

     -c #columns
          The output routine's column counter (8 by  default)  is
          set  to  the  number  specified.  Negative  numbers are
          treated as No-Ops.

     -h   Produce a valid C header  file,  ready  for  inclusion.
          (See also the -G option.)

     -i identifier
          Overwrite  the  output's routine default identifier foo
          with identifier.  (Should be a valid C identifier.)

     -o file
          The output  is  redirected  to  file,  instead  of  the
          default stdout.

     -t type
          Overwrite  the output's routine default type definition
          unsigned char with type.  (Should be a valid C type.)

     -v   Prints the version  number  and  a  copyright  note  on
          stderr.

     -D sizemacro
          Overwrite  the  output's  routine  default `size' macro
          FOOSIZ with sizemacro.  (Should be a valid  C  pre-pro-
          cessor macro name.)

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USER COMMANDS                                              B2C(1)

     -G guardmacro
          Overwrite the output's routine default `guardian' macro
          _foo_h_ with guardmacro.  (Should be a valid C pre-pro-
          cessor  macro  name.)   Specifying  `-G' implies option
          `-h'.

OPTION SUMMARY
     To give no option at all is the same as to give the options
          -H -c 8 -D FOOSIZ -i foo -t 'unsigned char'

EXAMPLE
     Hence the following binary file `foobar'  containing  the  9
     bytes: \001 - \011. Now type:

          b2c -h foobar

     which produces the following output:

          /* foobar */
          #ifndef _foo_h_
          #define _foo_h_

          unsigned char foo [] = {
               0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06, 0x07, 0x08,
               0x09
          };

          #define FOOSIZ ((sizeof(foo)/sizeof(unsigned char))

          #endif    /* _foo_h_ */

     In more general terms:

          /* <filename> */
          #ifndef <guard>
          #define <guard>

          <type> <identifier> [] = {
               <binary data>
          };

          #define <macro>     ((sizeof(<identifier>)/sizeof(<type>))

          #endif    /* <guard> */

APPLICATION
     Step  1.  Convert one of your favourite audio files into a C
     definition, e.g.

laughter.au
          b2c -i laughter  -D  LAUGHSIZ  -G  _laugh_h_  -o
          laughter.h

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USER COMMANDS                                              B2C(1)

     Step 2. Write a simple application program like:

          #include <stdio.h>
          #include "laughter.h"

          FILE* audio;

          if ((audio = fopen ("/dev/audio", "w")) != NULL) {
               fwrite (laughter, LAUGHSIZ, 1, audio);
               fclose (audio);
          }

     Step 3. Enjoy!

SEE ALSO
     btoa(1), atob(1), mtools(1).

     The GNU recode manual.

AUTHOR
     Copyright  (c)  1991-2000  Joerg  Heitkoetter.  All   rights
     reserved.
     Send bugs, comments, and all the fish to <joke@de.uu.net>

CREDITS
     Thanks  for  thoughtful  comments  from  David  W. Sanderson
     (dws@ssec.wisc.edu), who made me believe that `-CDH options'
     would   be  nice.  And  Fran,cois  Pinard  (pinard@iro.umon-
     treal.ca) for his comments on `spurious trailing blanks'  in
     previous  releases  of  b2c.  Look at his GNU recode utility
     for more ideas on how to use b2c.

AVAILABILITY
     b2c has been posted to alt.sources and should  be  available
     from  your local alt.sources news archive. It is also avail-
     able on the web via http://gnu.de.uu.net/b2c which is virtu-
     ally the same as http://surf.de.uu.net/gnuland/b2c

     This  work is protected by the terms of the GNU General Pub-
     lic License. Please refer to the COPYING  file  accompanying
     the  sources  of this software package for a lengthy, boring
     but, absolute complete description.

FINAL NOTE
     The author used b2c (back in 1991) to convert disk boot sec-
     tors  from diverse DOS versions to write formatter programs.
     E.g. an MSDOS formatter for an ATARI ST, that  alloweed  him
     to  circumvent the Kermit-bottleneck, using mtools(1); which
     made exchanging data  between  theses  systems  `a  doodle'.
     (Yeah, this really used to be a problem those days!)

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