BIN2C_WIN

BIN2C_WIN is a handy and free programming tool for Windows. It's great for turning binary files—like images, sounds, or just about any file format you can think of—into C arrays that you can use directly in your C programs. There are some cool benefits to using this tool!

Why Use BIN2C_WIN?

First off, it helps you keep less files. You won't need to send out so many separate files with your program because everything is packed into the executable. This makes distribution a breeze!

Boost Your Program's Performance

Next up, you get less disk reads. Since resources load automatically with the program, there’s no need to fetch data from the disk every time you need a file. This can speed things up quite a bit!

Simplify Your Coding Process

No one likes writing extra code, right? With BIN2C_WIN, you have less coding. You won’t have to write any additional code just to load your resources into memory.

Save Disk Space

This tool also helps with less disk space. Since your resources are stored within the program code itself, using an executable compressor like UPX will also shrink the overall size of your application.

Keep Your Resources Safe

If you're concerned about users messing with your files, BIN2C_WIN lets you restrict access. The resource files aren’t easily editable by users, which adds another layer of protection.

A User-Friendly Alternative

You might find other small programs and scripts that do something similar; most of them go by the name BIN2C. However, those are mostly command line utilities that aren't very user-friendly. That’s why I decided to create my own version with a graphical interface—welcome to BIN2C_WIN!

The Flexibility Factor

You might wonder why you'd want this on Windows specifically. The Windows API has built-in methods for managing resources made with rc.exe (the Microsoft resource compiler) or similar tools. While that works fine for many apps, sometimes you need direct access to data without going through the API layers—especially if you're working on an SDL application or developing for another platform.

User-Friendly Features

• Select one or more resource files from multiple directories.


• Create a single header file or split them into several different ones.


• Name each array and set data types individually for each resource.


• Set default names and data types—for instance, all arrays could be named as unsigned char sprite_filename.


• Easily add, remove, or change arrays in any existing header file.