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-
- Mon 12-13-1993 22:59:44
-
- Saw the December 1992 issue of PC Computing and a "Hot Tip" that
- converted a regular binary GWBASIC program to a ASCII file. I sent
- them this one saying that their "Hot Tip" was lukewarm... <sigh> as
- usual I was ignored even though BINARY.BAS is really and truly a
- genuine "Hot Tip."
-
- BINARY.BAS does something that no other program (that I know of)
- does.... it will convert a ** protected ** binary saved GWBASIC
- program to ASCII.
-
- There are three modes of file save in GWBASIC:
-
- 1. Normal binary
- 2. Protected binary
- 3. Ascii
-
- The protected binary saved GWBASIC program can be run but can not
- be EDITed or LISTed so you can't see how the program works. The
- authors of these programs have SAVEd these programs using the
- command:
-
- SAVE "FileName.BAS", P
-
- The only way I know how to "break the code" is to make a dummy file
- containing Chr$(255) alone, load the protected program, load that
- dummy file and then the protected program will be in memory and can
- be LISTed or copied as ASCII.
-
- The accompanying file BINARY.BAS will do the above. I included a
- program called TEST.BAS that displays nice colored geometric
- patterns in color. Most folk who run the program TEST.BAS would
- want to see how it draws all those interesting lines and colors.
-
- TEST.BAS is PROTECTED. It was SAVEd as a binary protected program
- and can not be LISTed, EDITed, or SAVEd in ASCII. Using
- BINARY.BAS, you can convert TEST.BAS to an ASCII format.
-
- You have to have the file GWBASIC.EXE to run this program.
-
- So, by the numbers:
-
- 1. LOAD TEST.BAS by typing:
-
- GWBASIC.EXE TEST.BAS {Enter}
-
- a. Try to LIST, SAVE, or EDIT TEST.BAS
- b. You fail...
- c. Type SYSTEM {Enter} to EXIT the program
-
- 2. LOAD BINARY.BAS by typing:
-
- GWBASIC.EXE BINARY.BAS {Enter}
-
- a. Follow the instructions on the screen.
-
-
- John De Palma on CompuServe 76076,571
-