Lister UTF-16: add an option to skip first file byte

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MVV
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Lister UTF-16: add an option to skip first file byte

Post by *MVV »

UTF-16 is the only encoding where first byte offset parity matters, because all characters are 2-byte ones (other encodings are either single-byte or self-aligning). Currently Lister is only able to show UTF-16 characters at even offsets, but often in binary files UTF-16 strings start with odd offset and therefore can't be seen.

It would be nice to have something like 'Start from second file byte' menu item in Lister (such menu item could be added below the 'Variable char width' item in Options menu.) skipping first file byte and showing UTF-16 characters from odd offsets. It may be only enabled when UTF-16 encoding is selected, and always initially disabled.

Very simple example of an UTF-16 text that can't be seen in Lister currently is an UTF-16 text file with one byte added at the beginning of file causing all UTF-16 characters to be broken.

BTW Lister is able to search such shifted UTF-16 text but it shows and selects some weird hieroglyphs instead of found text.
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Usher
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Re: Lister UTF-16: add an option to skip first file byte

Post by *Usher »

I think it would be good to use Shift+6 or Ctrl+6 key shortcut for such shifted (off by one) view.
Andrzej P. Wozniak
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