From: Thomas Adam <thomas.adam22@...>
Date: 2007-10-27T03:39:37+09:00
Subject: Re: background on String#unpack?

On 26/10/2007, Giles Bowkett <gilesb@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > encryption code or something related, but I'm not sure. Just
> > > wondering, what's it for? Who uses it, and why?
> >
> > Array#pack and String#unpack are useful for handling _binary_ network
> > protocols and file formats.
>
> So would this be accurate? Use cases would include implementing
> graphics formats and extracting text from proprietary-format word
> processor files?

Anything that's encoded (URL-encoding, for instance), binary encoding.
 Binary data sent down from pipes/sockets, etc.

Just look at the formatting options for it.

-- Thomas Adam