convert a file to equivalent hex/binary code

Decade and years ago, PCTools was one of top list most widely used tool on viewing files with equivalent hexa codes.

Here's how to convert or view a text on its equivalent hex codes.

Assuming file.txt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such a sight,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to view a file named file.txt in hex code format?

# xxd < file.txt
Below is the screen dumped:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0000000: 2020 2020 4865 7920 6469 6464 6c65 2064 Hey diddle d
0000010: 6964 646c 652c 0a20 2020 2054 6865 2063 iddle,. The c
0000020: 6174 2061 6e64 2074 6865 2066 6964 646c at and the fiddl
0000030: 652c 0a20 2020 2054 6865 2063 6f77 206a e,. The cow j
0000040: 756d 7065 6420 6f76 6572 2074 6865 206d umped over the m
0000050: 6f6f 6e2c 0a20 2020 2054 6865 206c 6974 oon,. The lit
0000060: 746c 6520 646f 6720 6c61 7567 6865 6420 tle dog laughed
0000070: 746f 2073 6565 2073 7563 6820 6120 7369 to see such a si
0000080: 6768 742c 0a20 2020 2041 6e64 2074 6865 ght,. And the
0000090: 2064 6973 6820 7261 6e20 6177 6179 2077 dish ran away w
00000a0: 6974 6820 7468 6520 7370 6f6f 6e2e 0a0a ith the spoon...
00000b0: 2020 2020 5468 6973 2077 6f72 6420 6973 This word is
00000c0: 206e 6f74 2069 6e20 7468 6520 6469 6374 not in the dict
00000d0: 696f 6e61 7279 204c 696e 7578 0a20 2020 ionary Linux.
00000e0: 2073 6f6c 6172 6973 0a solaris.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to covert text file to hexa file format?

This is simply dumping or redirecting the hexa code stdout output to a file as follows

# xxd < file.txt > newhexfile.txt


If you require to dump the first 100 characters of a file, do as follows

# xxd -l 100 < file.txt


How to convert file to binary digits rather than hex codes?

# xxd -b < file.txt
# xxd -b < file.txt > newbinaryfile.txt


How to view file on on EBCDIC character encoded format?

# xxd -b -E < file.txt


How to have a plain hex dump file or postscript continuous hexdump file style?

# xxd -p < file.txt

Gone are the days of hex viewer from Norton Utilities and PC Tools.

HTH