How can I get printable strings from binary in Python?

Question

I am working on a Python script to sort photos based on their date. I would like to include videos as well, but there is no metadata standard like EXIF for photos.

While testing, I noticed I could find my videos' date using bash:

$ head -c 1600 DSC_7643.AVI | strings
AVI LIST&
hdrlavih8
LISTt
...
NIKON
nctgr
NIKON CORPORATION
NIKON D90
A1.00
 B1.00
2012:10:30 09:38:16
2012:10:30 09:38:16

If I had this list, I could just iterate it looking for parseable dates and make a pretty good guess.

The man page for strings says: "find the printable strings in a object, or other binary, file". Unfortunately, this is a pretty hard description to search for something similar in Python, and I don't know exactly what it's doing to achieve its result. Is there a Python utility or library that can do something similar?

possible duplicate of Python equivalent of unix "strings" utility — Zero Piraeus
– Zero Piraeus, Commented Aug 13, 2013 at 5:36
When I read the manpage for strings on any of the Mac, linux, or FreeBSD boxes I have around, they all describe what strings actually does better than that. For example, in OS X 10.8: "A string is any sequence of 4 (the default) or more printing characters ending with a newline or a null… except in the (__TEXT,__text) section." — abarnert
– abarnert, Commented Aug 13, 2013 at 5:56
Also, of course, the source code for GNU, *BSD, etc. binutils are all available online. For example, here's FreeBSD. That looks like a lot of code, but almost all of it is about how to do the various different address-printing formats. The actual code to find the next string is about 25 lines. — abarnert
– abarnert, Commented Aug 13, 2013 at 6:00

Robᵩ · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-13 06:07:24Z

0

Rather than search for a Python alternative to strings, simply invoke the actual strings.

>>> lst=subprocess.check_output(('strings', 'DSC_7643.AVI')).split('\n')

It appears that AVI files do have a standard metadata encoding. The GNU program extract claims to do what you want:

>>> lst=subprocess.check_output(('extract', 'DSC_7643.AVI')).split('\n')

Additionally, there seems to be an API for extracting metadata. It even has a Python binding.

edited Aug 13, 2013 at 6:07

answered Aug 13, 2013 at 5:56

Robᵩ

170k20 gold badges251 silver badges323 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How can I get printable strings from binary in Python?

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related