---
name: "textpack"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "exult-studio"
version: "1.10.1-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/textpack"
---

# textpack(1)

Pack and unpack Flex files containing text

## NAME

textpack - Pack and unpack Flex files containing text

## SYNOPSIS

**textpack -c** *FLEXFILE* \[*TEXTFILE*\]

**textpack -x** *FLEXFILE* \[*TEXTFILE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Text Flex files are used for the storage of strings by the games *Exult* supports. While [**expack**(1)](/expack/1.md) can operate on such files, using **textpack** to pack and unpack them is more comfortable.

The first parameter determines the mode of operation, **-c** stands for creation, **-x** for extraction.

### Creation

*TEXTFILE* (or stdin if it is missing) is read and must conform to the file format (see below). *FLEXFILE* will be created containing the strings from this input.

### Extraction

The strings contained in *FLEXFILE* are extracted and written to *TEXTFILE* (if given, stdout otherwise) in the file format documented below.

### File Format

Empty lines, and lines starting with a pound sign (**#**) are ignored. Other lines must begin with a number, followed by a colon (**:**). The number is the index of the string and may be given either in decimal, in octal prefixed with **0**; or in hexadecimal prefixed with **0x**. Anything following the colon belongs to the string and gets stored in the Flex verbatim. Lines are limited in length to 1024 characters.

## EXAMPLES

- **textpack -x text.flx**

  Writes all the strings contained in **text.flx** to stdout in the format discussed above.

- **textpack -c text.flx strings.list**

  Reads **strings.list** and puts its contents into the Flex file **text.flx**

### Example text file

\# An example\
 0:the zeroth string\
 \# strings may be empty\
 1:\
 \# holes are allowed, strings 2 to 16 will be empty\
 17:string seventeen\
 \# 13 hexadecimal == 19 decimal, 24 octal == 20 decimal\
 0x13:nineteen\
 024:twenty\
 \# numbers need not go up\
 18:eighteen\
 \# this will overwrite the definition from above\
 19:overwritten

## AUTHOR

This manpage was written by Robert Bihlmeyer. It may be freely redistributed and modified under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 or higher.

## SEE ALSO

[**expack**(1)](/expack/1.md), [**exult**(6)](/exult/6.md)