encryption - How to convert gpg4win's binary to ascii, with Notepad++

I can reliably convert gpg4win's ascii to binary using Notepad++ option "Base64 Decode" (credit: James K Polk). Works every time.

But when I attempt the reverse, i.e. convert binary to ascii, it works sometimes and does not work other times. Here's how I'm doing it:

• Open the binary file in Notepad++ and select "Base64 Encode".


• Manually add the BEGIN/END PGP message lines (-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----)

This works sometimes (i.e. gpg4win can decrypt the resulting file), but fails other times (gpg4win can't decrypt). I am careful to do it exactly the same way each time, making sure there are no white spaces, etc. But it only works sometimes.

How can I get it to work using Notepad++?

Note: I can do the conversion using --enarmor, but I would like to be able to do it with Notepad++. Especially since I can get it to work sometimes, so I know it's possible, and maybe I'm missing a small piece.

Answer

Notepad++ is an editor for text files, which are files that end with special binary characters that denote an end-of-line. It will always think that your text-line is found between two end-of-line characters, and will mostly ignore the end-of-line itself in its operations.

This has the potential to destroy the file when converting to Base64, since Notepad++ will convert the text between the end-of-lines, but may cause a problem with not correctly handling the end-of-lines.

In fact, it's pretty amazing for me that this has worked correctly for you for some files, and I can readily understand that it didn't for others.

I think you should really look for another solution than Notepad++ for converting to Base64.