Re: Question regarding a regex

Depending on your definition of 'text file', this test could give a false negative if the file contained any non-ASCII 'text'. It could give a false positive if every byte of a 'binary' file happened to contain the code of an ASCII character. (Can you tolerate an extremely rare error?)

Bill

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Re^2: Question regarding a regex by afoken (Chancellor) on Jul 23, 2021 at 08:09 UTC
It could give a false positive if every byte of a 'binary' file happened to contain the code of an ASCII character. (Can you tolerate an extremely rare error?) I know only one binary file that intentionally contains only ASCII characters: The EICAR test file. Here it is, in its full glory: `X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*` [download] It is a DOS executable that just prints the embedded text "EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!" and then exits. Alexander -- Today I will gladly share my knowledge and experience, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so". ;-)	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Question regarding a regex by BillKSmith (Monsignor) on Jul 23, 2021 at 13:55 UTC
Clever. I was thinking of a binary data file (Perhaps a sequence of readings from a 7-bit A/D converter). Bill	[reply]
Re^3: Question regarding a regex by bliako (Monsignor) on Jul 23, 2021 at 08:51 UTC
impressive! and another form of golf is born.	[reply]


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