bin2prev — Preview Native Code in Your Beloved Language

Machines don't speak Java, Python, or JavaScript — they speak native binary.

High-level languages were invented for humans, not machines. Every line of Python or Java you write gets compiled down to the binary that the CPU actually executes. The native code is the real code. Everything else is a translation.

With AI agents, you can now write native binary directly — the way machines actually think. No compiler, no runtime, no abstraction layers. Just raw instructions the CPU understands.

bin2prev bridges the gap: write native with your agent, then preview it in your preferred language — Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go — so you can read what the machine already understands.

Write native. Preview human.

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📐 How It Works

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        VS Code                           │
│                                                          │
│  Explorer                    Preview Panel               │
│  ┌──────────┐               ┌──────────────────────────┐ │
│  │ 📁 bin2prev              │ Raw | Java | JS | Python │ │
│  │  ├── hello│ ──dbl-click─▶│─────────────────────────-│ │
│  │  └── greet│              │ public class Hello {     │ │
│  └──────────┘               │   public static void     │ │
│                             │   main(String[] args) {  │ │
│                             │     System.out.print(    │ │
│                             │       "Hello, World!\n");│ │
│                             │     System.exit(0);      │ │
│                             │   }                      │ │
│                             │ }                        │ │
│                             └──────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. Open — Double-click any binary file — bin2prev opens it automatically
2. Analyze — Parses Mach-O/ELF headers, decodes ARM64 instructions, detects syscalls
3. Preview — Shows equivalent code in 6 tabs: Raw Binary, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go

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🚀 Install

From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X on Mac / Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux)
3. Search for bin2prev
4. Click Install

That's it — you're ready to preview binaries.

From Source (Development)

git clone https://github.com/Ahsan-Hoque/bin2prev.git
cd bin2prev/vscode-ext
npm install
npx @vscode/vsce package --allow-missing-repository
code --install-extension bin2prev-0.0.4.vsix

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🎯 Usage

Open a binary

Just double-click any binary file in VS Code's explorer — bin2prev opens it automatically with a raw hex view and language preview tabs.

Right-click menu

Right-click any file → "bin2prev: Preview Binary as Source Code"

Command palette

Cmd+Shift+P → type "bin2prev" → select "Preview Binary as Source Code"

Try with example binaries

# "Hello, World!" — prints and exits
./examples/hello

# Interactive greeter — asks your name in a loop, Ctrl+C to exit
./examples/greet

Open either binary in VS Code to see it previewed as Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or Go.

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📁 Project Structure

bin2prev/
├── README.md
├── examples/                # Example native ARM64 binaries
│   ├── hello                #   prints "Hello, World!" and exits
│   └── greet                #   interactive name prompt loop
└── vscode-ext/              # VS Code extension
    ├── package.json         #   extension manifest
    └── src/
        ├── extension.js     #   command registration + webview panel
        ├── analyzer.js      #   binary parser (Mach-O, ELF, ARM64 decoder)
        └── webview.js       #   HTML/CSS/JS for the preview panel

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🔍 What It Detects

Binary Format	Instruction Set	Syscalls
Mach-O 64-bit	ARM64 (MOVZ, ADR, SVC)	write, read, exit
Mach-O 32-bit	— (string fallback)	—
ELF 32/64-bit	— (string fallback)	—
PE (Windows)	— (string fallback)	—

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🛠 Example Binaries

hello

Native ARM64 Mach-O binary — prints "Hello, World!" using raw kernel syscalls (write + exit). No compiler, no runtime.

greet

Interactive ARM64 binary — prompts "Enter your name (^C):", reads input, prints "Hello, <name>", loops until Ctrl+C. Uses write + read syscalls.

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📜 License

MIT