With GNU Poke is an editor of binary files in version 1.0 appeared. The version number indicates the interactive command line tool after three years development time as stable for productive use. It serves to edit binard files and goes beyond the simple reading and writing of byte content.
The name was allowed to be understood as a reminiscence to the command Poke of the programming language Basic, which serves for direct writing a value in a memory address and knows as a pendant PEEK for reading a value.
More than raw reading and writing
Poke, however, goes beyond the basic functions of a HEX editor for displaying and reversing storage areas. The tool brings its own interactive programming language to describe and edit data structures.
In addition to displaying the hexadecimal values, GNU Poke allows an insight into data structures.
The editor works for the current release as an interactive command line tool. As support for repeated commands, the GNU Readline Library can be used. Among other things, the editor aims for system development and design as well as the documentation of file formats and protocols. In addition, when testing, there is an insight into the memory and provide support in reverse engineering.
The official envision of version 1.0 emphasizes that Poke also leaves the stable stand still numerous wishes. The team probably already has concrete ideas among other data formats and enhancements. In addition, a graphical user interface is planned in the medium term.
The source code can be found in Git repository on GNU Savannah. Discussions on the further development are largely available on the mailing list Poke Devel. The documentation page offers the Poke instructions in numerous formats of pure text via HTTL and TEX up to PDF. Unfortunately, the Poke site including the documentation currently offers no HTTPS connection.