General Info
BinHex encoding converts an 8-bit file into a 7-bit format, similar to uuencoding. BinHex format preserves file attributes, as well as Macintosh resource forks, and includes CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) error-checking. This encoding method works on any type of file, including formatted word processing and spreadsheet files, graphics files, and even executable files (i.e. programs or applications). The encoded file can also be passed from computer to computer in its encoded form. The encoding will remain intact and it will be equally meaningless on all the machines until it is unencoded. To be usable or readable it must be converted back to its original format and be run on a compatible computer.
Download BinHex for Mac to encodes & decodes Mac binary files.
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- BinHex files can be easily recognized since they begin with the line: (This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0) and are followed by a line starting with a colon, ':'. The BinHex encoding of the file follows, and is ended with another colon. Binhex 4.0 files also can be identified externally by the suffix '.hqx'.
- X-HQX-Software: BinHex 4.0 (Convert::BinHex 1.102) X-HQX-Filename: Somethingnew.eps X-HQX-Version: 0 X-HQX-Type: EPSF X-HQX-Creator: ART5 X-HQX-Data-Length: 49731 X-HQX-Rsrc-Length: 23096 As some of you might have guessed, this is RFC-822-style, and may be easily plunked down into the middle of a mail header, or split into lines, etc.
Note: This is not to be confused with MacBinaryencoding, which is an 8-bit format.
(By the way, the MIME type Base64 is a 6-bit format! Isn't math fun?)
What it looks like
Here is a sample of what BinHex actually looks like:Note that all lines other than the header and the last line are exactly 64 characters long (not counting the newline characters). If you receive a file in email containing lines of varying lengths, then someone's mail system may have damaged the file and you'll probably need to have it resent.
The line '(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)' is an integral part of the file format; in fact, if it is missing or even altered in any way, the file may not get recognized as binhex by a decoder program (not a problem for StuffIt Expander, though). Note also that this does not mean you need a program called 'BinHex 4.0' to decode a BinHex file; there are several utilities which can do the trick, the most popular of which are listed on this very page (the page you are reading right now).
Here is some C source code to un-HQX in Unix, the readme from macutil, Pascal source code of DeHQX 2.0 by Peter Lewis (a great set of code and a good 'standard' to follow), and some notes from Yves himself.
BinHex versus MIME
Uh-oh, flamebait! Dare I even attempt to tackle this issue? Actually, there is more than one issue here: we've got email attachments, archive file formats, available source code, level of complexity, and varying implementations regardless of platform. Hmm, I'll leave this alone for now; eventually I'll fill this space up with comparison tables, URLs, and scary stuff like that! In the meantime, the fact is that BinHex is ubiquitous and won't be disappearing anytime soon, so whether it is 'preferred' or not is, for the most part, a moot point.
Also, Microsoft has chosen to use the BinHex format as a wrapper for Macintosh ActiveX controls. Apple has specified that Sherlock plug-in updates be posted on web sites in BinHex.
See also TidBITS: Macintosh Internet File Format Primer.
Macintosh Utilities
- StuffIt Expander 4.5 (free decompression utility from Aladdin Systems)
- DropStuff w/Expander Enhancer (shareware compression utility from Aladdin Systems)
- StuffIt Lite 3.6 (shareware compression utility from Aladdin Systems)
- StuffIt Deluxe 4.5 (commercial compression utility from Aladdin Systems)
- MindExpander 1.0 (free decompression utility from MindVision)
- BinHex 4.0 (do NOT use 5.0 -- that is an 8-bit binary format)
- DeHQX 2.0.1 by Peter Lewis
- SITcomm 1.0.1 (telecom program [discontinued] from Aladdin Systems)
- ZipIt 1.3.8 (shareware compression utility from Tom Brown)
- Eudora (Internet email program from Qualcomm)
DOS/Windows Utilities
- Aladdin Expander for Windows by Aladdin Systems
- DropStuff for Windows (shareware compression utility from Aladdin Systems)
- MindExpander 1.0 (free decompression utility from MindVision)
- Eudora (Internet email program from Qualcomm)
- PC BinHex 1.3 -- University of Minnesota 1992-1993
Written by the Distributed Computing Services department and placed in the public domain.This Utility encodes binary files into a plain text format and decodes the resulting files into their original state. This program is compatible with the Macintosh version of BINHEX and with POPMail(tm) (the DOS counterpart to POPMail is Minuet ).
For further information, see the following issues of theComputer & Information Services Newsletter:March 1993 issue, article: E-mail Enclosures, Part 1
April 1993 issue, article: E-mail Attachments Part 2 - Using Pine
January 1994 issue, article: Sending Files Micros & Pine (#3 in series)
Unix Utilities
SunOS/Sparc2
(Info provided by John Gianni, http://www.cadence.com)
Many Sparc un-binhexing utilities exist. I think most, if not all, are listed on archie servers (telnet archie.sura.net; login as 'qarchie'; run the command, 'prog binhex'; type 'mail yourLogin' to get the report; type 'quit' to exit).
hexbin hexbin.man
binhex binhex.man
xbin xbin.man
rdbinhex (script to automate unbinhexing and conversion to UNIX)
Amiga Utilities
MacTools v2.01b1 will decode BinHex files on the Amiga platform. On Genie, this file can be found in the Amiga RT library, file #19368. (It's probably also on Aminet...)Info provided by Mike Webb (page devoted to the Amiga, Texas Instruments TI-85 calculators, and music...for now - also soon to be the home of a new online Amiga magazine).
Apple ][ Utilities
From Harold.H on Genie:
No BinHex utils that I know of that have been released. I've been trying to find time to write one though :)
Wait... GSCII+ (a IIgs desk accs) handles BinHex, but it's not exactly stable
| This page was mentioned in a Macworld magazine column, Parcel Post--Internet-Style (April 1996 issue, page 122, sidebar 'Web Worthy'). :-) |
Please choose a menu item before pressing the Go button.
|
Open Hxmx File
natural-innovations.com (c) 1995-2012 Walter Ian Kaye
Debra Earle wrote:
>
> In article <3B75ADE9...@sk.sympatico.ca>, r.je...@sk.sympatico.ca
> says...
> | I have downloaded a file sent tome with an attachment that says 'must be
> | converted from binhex 4.0'. Someone gave me advice to use winzip but
> | that didnt solve the problem either. Any advice on how to view such
> | files? Is there a program i should use that will convert it to Wpwin8?
> |
> | Thanks.
> |
> | Warren
> |
> Winzip *should* be able to convert binhex files back to their original
> form.
no go. i get this message and all the codes:
'(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)'
Decode Bin File
But are you sure your mail program didn't convert it already?
No idea. when i open it in wordperfect i get the above message and all
those codes.
Binhex Decoder
Or
> perhaps you did convert it with winzip, since your later msg says it shows
> as WP4.2 format.
it doesnt matter whether i use winzip or just open the downloaded file,
i get the same message.
perhaps i am doing something else wrong?
as above, hex codes presumably plus 'must be opened with binhex 4.0'!
>
> It's very possible that WP mis-identifies a Mac WP 3.5 as a PC WPDOS 4.2;
> what happens when you try to open it?
>
Binhex 4.0 Converter Online
> --thanks.
warren
> DE, C_Tech