Executable envelopes

Revision as of 16:13, 15 July 2024

Executable envelopes refers to a diverse class of files that use a standard executable format, but which were generated in a formulaic way from some original file (which may or may not have itself been executable). They usually consist of a boilerplate decoder section, plus a payload section that could potentially be extracted to a standard format.

Executable compression

Refer to Executable compression.

Executable protection

(password protection, obfuscation, authentication, tamper-proofing, expiration, etc.)

• Exe Protect
• HackStop
• Protect! EXE/COM

The Security section of the SAC collection has many such programs.

Some Executable compression utilities also have features of this type.

(TODO: Populate this section.)

Self-extracting archives

Most self-extracting archive formats are covered (or would be covered) in the article for the corresponding Archiving format.

A few are listed at Archiving#Self-extracting archives, especially if they have their own article.

Self-extracting installers

Self-extracting installer formats are listed at Archiving#Program/App/Applet/Installer specialized archive formats, along with other formats.

Executable documents

(A document in some known format, combined with a viewer for that format.)

Most such formats are covered (or would be covered) in the article for the corresponding document format.

Executable text

(plain text, text with simple markup, simple e-book formats, etc.)

• Asc2Com (MorganSoft)
• AutoCom (REXXCOM) (companion to AutoDoc) [1][2]
• BIGTEXT (Kevin Solway) [3][4]
• BREEZE text to .EXE format (Kevin Solway) (see also Breeze)
• DIZ2EXE (Olan Patrick Barnes) [5]
• DOC2COM (Dan K. Nelson) [6]
• DOC2COM (Gerald DePyper)
• DOCMAKER (Jack A. Orman)
• Electronic Text Publishing System, The (Philip P. Kapusta) [7]
• MakeScroll (Eric Gans) [8]
• MkCom
• READMAKE (Bruce Guthrie / Wayne Software) [9]
• SHOW (Gary M. Raymond)
• Simply Docs (SimpleWare / Robert E. Pitcher) [10]
• TEXE
• TextExe (LRC Computing)
• TEXTLIFE (Kevin Solway) [11]
• TurboTXT (by HyperWare, part of ExtraDOS Toolbox) [12]
• TXT2COM (De Trans Software)
• TXT2COM (Keith P. Graham)
• TXT2COM (Prakash.K)
• TXT2COM (Uwe Schlenther)
• TXT2COM (Wiering Software)
• TXT2EXE (John De Palma) [13]
• TXTRUN (Sawada) [14]
• WriteMe System, The (Sitting Duck Software) [15]
• XDOC (JauMing Tseng)
• X-Filer (Philip P. Kapusta) [16]

Executable graphics

Some executable graphics formats are covered (or would be covered) in the article for the corresponding non-executable format (see Graphics), and not necessarily listed here.

• FMAC2COM
• GIFEXE
• GRABBER
• Graphic Workshop self-displaying picture
• NETPIC
• OPTIKS COM image
• PCX2COM
• PCX2EXE (Arminio Grgic)
• PCX2EXE (Mike Williams)
• PIXIT
• Title-Maker
• VGAPaint 386 COM Program
• VGAPaint 386 PCX Self-Extracting Picture

Executable ANSI Art

(ANSI Art and related formats)

• ANS2COM (REXXCOM) [17]
• ANSi To Exe Converter (BUFF) [18]
• P-Screen COM Screen
• sMAUG ANSI Executable
• TheDraw COM File

Other executable documents

• Font Mania (REXXCOM) (COM format)

Executable libraries

(Multiple executable files combined into one executable file, such that you can choose the one to execute.)

• ARK (executable library)
• COM-Pack library
• XEQ

Executable sequencers

Utilities that combine two or more executable files into one that, in effect, executes the original files in sequence. The term sticker is sometimes used, which can refer to the utility, or to the component file that is playing the role of the appendage.

A variation of this is a utility that takes a document such as a text file, converts it to code that displays the document, and appends it to an arbitrary executable file.

Sketchy software alert: While legitimate uses exist, appending code to someone else's software is characteristic of computer viruses, and software "cracking" groups.

• Ady's GLUE
• Message Sticker, The (Paz Hameiri)
• MINICHAINER

More examples may be found in archives of exetools.com.

Executable format conversion

(Utilities whose main purpose is conversion from one binary executable format to another, especially if they produce an envelope-like format.)

• EXE2COM (PSP Soft)

Compiled scripts

(Some compiled script formats don't fit this category very well, but may be listed here anyway.)

• BAT2EXEC
• BATCOM (Wenham Software)
• BatLite
• BATtoCOM (Clockwork Software)
• Professional EBL-Plus - See Extended Batch Language.

Transfer-encoded executables

(A file that remains executable despite having had a transfer encoding or the like applied. This is impossible or impractical with most executable formats, unless they are very "raw", as .COM format is.)

• c2t (Jørgen Ibsen)
• com2txt (Naoyuki Nide)
• Com2txt (Dark Stalker)
• Com4Mail
• COMT
• NETRUN
• xcom (PTS)

Special-purpose formats:

• NETPIC
• NETSEND

Related links:

• Tom7's PAPER.EXE

Links

• ANORMAL's DOSEXE collections → Executable Tools Pack - Collection of many DOS utilities