2 :mod:`binhex` --- Encode and decode binhex4 files
3 =================================================
6 :synopsis: Encode and decode files in binhex4 format.
9 This module encodes and decodes files in binhex4 format, a format allowing
10 representation of Macintosh files in ASCII. On the Macintosh, both forks of a
11 file and the finder information are encoded (or decoded), on other platforms
12 only the data fork is handled.
14 The :mod:`binhex` module defines the following functions:
17 .. function:: binhex(input, output)
19 Convert a binary file with filename *input* to binhex file *output*. The
20 *output* parameter can either be a filename or a file-like object (any object
21 supporting a :meth:`write` and :meth:`close` method).
24 .. function:: hexbin(input[, output])
26 Decode a binhex file *input*. *input* may be a filename or a file-like object
27 supporting :meth:`read` and :meth:`close` methods. The resulting file is written
28 to a file named *output*, unless the argument is omitted in which case the
29 output filename is read from the binhex file.
31 The following exception is also defined:
36 Exception raised when something can't be encoded using the binhex format (for
37 example, a filename is too long to fit in the filename field), or when input is
38 not properly encoded binhex data.
43 Module :mod:`binascii`
44 Support module containing ASCII-to-binary and binary-to-ASCII conversions.
52 There is an alternative, more powerful interface to the coder and decoder, see
53 the source for details.
55 If you code or decode textfiles on non-Macintosh platforms they will still use
56 the Macintosh newline convention (carriage-return as end of line).
58 As of this writing, :func:`hexbin` appears to not work in all cases.