Convert ORG to HEX
Max file size 100mb.
ORG vs HEX Format Comparison
| Aspect | ORG (Source Format) | HEX (Target Format) |
|---|---|---|
| Format Overview |
ORG
Emacs Org-mode
Plain text markup format created for Emacs in 2003. Designed for note-taking, task management, project planning, and literate programming. Features hierarchical structure with collapsible sections, TODO states, scheduling, and code execution. Emacs Native Literate Programming |
HEX
Hexadecimal Dump
Text representation of binary data using hexadecimal notation. Each byte is displayed as two hex digits (00-FF). Used for binary analysis, debugging, data inspection, and low-level file examination. Commonly includes offset addresses and ASCII representation. Binary Analysis Debugging Tool |
| Technical Specifications |
Structure: Hierarchical outline with * headers
Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Plain text with markup Processor: Emacs Org-mode, Pandoc Extensions: .org |
Structure: Offset | Hex bytes | ASCII
Encoding: ASCII (hex characters only) Format: Text dump of binary data Tools: xxd, hexdump, od, hex editors Extensions: .hex, .txt |
| Syntax Examples |
Org-mode syntax: #+TITLE: Hello World #+AUTHOR: Developer * Introduction This is a *simple* test file. - Item one - Item two |
Hexadecimal dump format: 00000000 23 2b 54 49 54 4c 45 3a 20 48 65 6c 6c 6f 20 57 |#+TITLE: Hello W| 00000010 6f 72 6c 64 0a 23 2b 41 55 54 48 4f 52 3a 20 44 |orld.#+AUTHOR: D| 00000020 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 65 72 0a 0a 2a 20 49 6e 74 72 |eveloper..* Intr| 00000030 6f 64 75 63 74 69 6f 6e 0a 0a 54 68 69 73 20 69 |oduction..This i| 00000040 73 20 61 20 2a 73 69 6d 70 6c 65 2a 20 74 65 73 |s a *simple* tes| |
| Content Support |
|
|
| Advantages |
|
|
| Disadvantages |
|
|
| Common Uses |
|
|
| Best For |
|
|
| Version History |
Introduced: 2003 (Carsten Dominik)
Current Version: 9.6+ (2024) Status: Active development Primary Tool: GNU Emacs |
Origin: Unix tools (1970s)
Standard Tools: xxd, hexdump, od Status: Universal standard Common Format: xxd-style output |
| Software Support |
Emacs: Native support (Org-mode)
Vim/Neovim: org.nvim, vim-orgmode VS Code: Org Mode extension Other: Logseq, Obsidian (plugins) |
Unix/Linux: xxd, hexdump, od
Windows: HxD, 010 Editor Cross-platform: Hex Fiend, Bless Editors: VS Code (Hex Editor ext) |
Why Convert ORG to HEX?
Converting Org-mode documents to hexadecimal format is primarily useful for debugging and technical analysis. The HEX dump reveals the exact byte-level content of your file, exposing hidden characters, encoding issues, and file structure that's invisible in normal text view.
Developers use hex dumps to debug encoding problems. If your Org file contains unexpected characters, displays differently on various systems, or has mysterious formatting issues, a hex dump shows exactly what bytes are in the file. You can identify BOM markers, invisible whitespace, or incorrect line endings.
Security researchers and data analysts use hex views to examine file structure. The hex dump shows Unicode byte sequences, special characters, and any embedded data that might be hidden in what appears to be a plain text file.
For educational purposes, seeing your Org-mode markup as hexadecimal bytes helps understand how text encoding works. You can observe how UTF-8 encodes special characters and how different elements are represented at the byte level.
Key Benefits of Converting ORG to HEX:
- Debug Encoding: Identify UTF-8 issues and encoding problems
- Hidden Characters: Reveal invisible whitespace and control characters
- File Analysis: Examine exact byte content of your document
- Cross-platform Issues: Debug line ending problems (CR/LF)
- Educational: Learn how text encoding works at byte level
- Data Forensics: Examine file structure for analysis
- Comparison: Compare files at byte level for differences
Practical Examples
Example 1: Debug Encoding Issues
Input ORG file with special characters:
#+TITLE: Cafe Menu * Beverages - Cafe - $3.00 - Latte - $4.50
Output HEX reveals UTF-8 encoding:
00000000 23 2b 54 49 54 4c 45 3a 20 43 61 66 c3 a9 20 4d |#+TITLE: Caf.. M|
00000010 65 6e 75 0a 0a 2a 20 42 65 76 65 72 61 67 65 73 |enu..* Beverages|
^^
Note: c3 a9 is the UTF-8 encoding of 'e' (e with acute accent)
This shows the character is properly encoded as UTF-8.
Example 2: Detect Hidden Characters
Input ORG file (appears normal):
* Task List - Buy groceries - Call John
Output HEX reveals hidden BOM:
00000000 ef bb bf 2a 20 54 61 73 6b 20 4c 69 73 74 0a 0a |...* Task List..|
^^^^^^^
UTF-8 BOM (Byte Order Mark) at start of file
This invisible marker can cause issues in some tools.
Example 3: Line Ending Analysis
Input ORG file with mixed line endings:
* Notes Line one Line two Line three
Output HEX shows line ending types:
00000000 2a 20 4e 6f 74 65 73 0d 0a 0a 4c 69 6e 65 20 6f |* Notes...Line o|
00000010 6e 65 0d 0a 4c 69 6e 65 20 74 77 6f 0a 4c 69 6e |ne..Line two.Lin|
^^
0d 0a = CRLF (Windows line ending)
0a = LF only (Unix/Mac line ending)
This file has mixed line endings - may cause issues!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is a hex dump?
A: A hex dump is a text representation of binary data where each byte is shown as two hexadecimal digits (00-FF). The standard format includes offset addresses on the left, hex bytes in the middle, and ASCII representation on the right. Non-printable characters are shown as dots.
Q: Why would I convert a text file to hex?
A: Hex dumps are useful for debugging encoding issues, finding hidden characters, analyzing file structure, comparing files at the byte level, and understanding how text is stored. If your Org file behaves unexpectedly, a hex dump can reveal the cause.
Q: Can I convert the hex dump back to ORG?
A: Yes, using tools like xxd -r (reverse) or online hex-to-text converters. The conversion is lossless - the hex dump contains all the original bytes, so you can reconstruct the exact original file.
Q: What do the offset numbers mean?
A: The offset is the position in the file (in hexadecimal). 00000000 is the start, 00000010 is byte 16 (10 in hex = 16 in decimal), and so on. This helps you locate specific bytes when analyzing the file.
Q: How do I read UTF-8 characters in hex?
A: ASCII characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9) are single bytes. Non-ASCII UTF-8 characters use 2-4 bytes starting with specific patterns. For example, e (c3 a9) uses two bytes. Understanding these patterns helps debug encoding issues.
Q: What are common problems hex dumps reveal?
A: Common issues include: BOM markers (ef bb bf) causing parsing problems, mixed line endings (0d 0a vs 0a), wrong encoding (not UTF-8), invisible Unicode characters like zero-width spaces, and trailing whitespace that's hard to see.
Q: Is the hex dump larger than the original?
A: Yes, significantly. Each byte becomes 2-3 characters of text (hex digits plus spaces), plus the offset and ASCII columns. A 1KB file produces roughly a 5-10KB hex dump. This is expected and normal.
Q: What tools can I use to view hex files?
A: Many options exist: xxd and hexdump on Linux/Mac, HxD on Windows, VS Code with Hex Editor extension, or online hex viewers. Any text editor can view the dump, but specialized hex editors offer features like editing and searching.