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Jaybird180

Final Approach
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Jaybird180
I've been playing with Hex editors and OCR trying to make this work, but I just haven't been able to find the right tools to do it.

The concept is the same that Phil Zimmerman used in the distribution of PGP
Example: http://www.pgpi.org/pgpi/project/scanning/

Except, instead of using binary, I will use hexadecimal to save paper.
Here's what I need:

A hex editor that I can feed any file and it will spit out the hex code (found a few, but can't figure out how to take the code and put it into text editors ie notepad). I should be able print that hex on any printer (it should be continuous without spaces or extranneous text to waste any paper). I should be able to then scan it, OCR it, and then feed it back into the hex editor and have it reconstruct the original file.

Oh, and I'm restricted to doing this in a Windows environment and any tools should be executables (or scripts) only (non-installed programs).

Ideas?
 
as long as it works in Windows and does not need to be installed.
 
Dare I ask what you're trying to accomplish?
 
What Jesse said... I was going to ask if there's a point to this exercise.
 
Why not base64 instead of hex?
 
Dare I ask what you're trying to accomplish?

What Jesse said... I was going to ask if there's a point to this exercise.

it started when I had some issues with excel file formats, and I started playing further. Then I came up with this as an interim step to solving other problems until I realized other practicalities.
Then there is the pure academic interest I have in this....:yinyang:
 
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Surely this is about the worst possible way of trying to solve a file format issue. The amount of error, time, and paper required is pretty insane. I'm sure we could suggest something much more reasonable :)
 
Yes, my way is certainly wasteful of those resources. Seems my file format solution has created a problem of problems?

I'll send something later that better describes the original problem, unless you already have ideas (seems you do).
 
Sounds like you're trying to "encrypt" (not the correct term but a good description) from text to paper and then back again? :dunno:

edit: Saw your posts made between the time I read the thread to when I posted. Wow. Talk about the internet leading down various rabbit trails - this is the craziest route I've ever heard of. :lol:

...but definitely interesting.
 
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He's engineering a system to go back to one step above paper punch tape. I have a cassette tape player somewhere if you want to come forward a decade. ;)
 
> He's engineering a system to go back to one step above paper punch tape.

Watch it pal. Oh, nevermind. I see you still have your data/cassette device.
No harm. No foul. No problem.
 
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