Vim edit binary files

Edit a binary file

Vim can easily edit binary files. I personally think it is easier to edit binary files than Emacs. In vim, the binary file is edited by dumping the file into its binary text format through the external program xxd, and then the file can be edited in the normal editing mode, after editing, use xxd to convert it to the original form.

You can perform the following steps:
First, open the file in binary mode. The command is

VI-B filename

Then, run the following command in ex mode to dump it

: %! Xxd

After the editing is complete, run the following command to convert it back.

: %! Xxd-R

The xxd program is a built-in program of the vim software package. Its function is to perform hexadecimal dump or vice versa. The content can be found in the usr_23.txt file of the vimfile.