file · Command reference

`qzx isFileBinary`

What it does

Determines whether a regular file is binary or text using bounded start/middle/end content sampling

Command maturity: Alpha

Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve. This is the current development-checkout assessment. Every future immutable release tag preserves the exact assessment shipped by that version. Available in PyPI 0.2.2.0.8. This page documents the 0.2.2.0.8 alpha development checkout.

Behavior and built-in protections

Inspects without changing state

Direct execution for this operation

Works without invoking native programs

Works without network access

No elevation required by design

This safety classification was reviewed by OpenAI GPT-5.6 Pro against implementation digest sha256:5a8639d0d6bac7c6fb156e0ba4cbc737b8d4813c8f13845c747cf9bb03bb75eb on 2026-08-25.

Exact syntax

qzx isFileBinary <file_path> [sample_size] [binary_threshold] [follow_symlinks] --json

Parameters

Swipe or use the horizontal scrollbar to see every column.

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
file_path	str	Yes	Not declared	Path to the regular file to analyze
sample_size	int	No	8192	Total sample budget in bytes (64 through 16777216)
binary_threshold	float	No	10	Suspicious-control-byte percentage greater than 0 and at most 100, used when no definitive content signature exists
follow_symlinks	bool	No	false	Follow reviewed symbolic-link or junction components to their resolved regular-file target

Input examples

qzx isFileBinary script.py

Classify a source file with the default distributed sample

qzx isFileBinary image.jpg 4096 5

Use a 4 KiB sample budget and a 5 percent threshold

qzx isFileBinary reviewed-link --follow_symlinks

Analyze the resolved target of an explicitly reviewed link

For the complete structured payload, add --json: qzx isFileBinary <file_path> [sample_size] [binary_threshold] [follow_symlinks] --json

Representative output example

This illustrative JSON is derived from the current implementation-backed result contract. It shows what the command can return without claiming a recorded execution; values vary with inputs, host, permissions, and optional tools.

Example command: qzx isFileBinary script.py --json

{
    "success": true,
    "message": "Determines whether a regular file is binary or text using bounded start/middle/end content sampling. In this illustrative example, the command completed successfully.",
    "meta": {
        "command": "isFileBinary",
        "command_maturity": {
            "stage": "alpha",
            "label": "Alpha",
            "sequence": 2,
            "public_executable": true,
            "stability": "interface_may_change",
            "summary": "Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve.",
            "promotion_review_required": false,
            "assessment_scope": "development_checkout"
        },
        "duration_ms": 0,
        "schema_version": 1
    },
    "analyzed_bytes": 4096,
    "analyzed_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "details": {
        "target": "Example value",
        "sampling": "Example value",
        "binary_analysis": [
            {
                "name": "example",
                "status": "ok"
            }
        ],
        "detected_type": "Example value"
    },
    "file_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "file_size": 4096,
    "file_size_readable": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "is_binary": true,
    "mime_type": "text/plain"
}

View the JSON result contract

{
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "required": [
        "success",
        "message",
        "meta"
    ],
    "properties": {
        "success": {
            "type": "boolean"
        },
        "message": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "meta": {
            "type": "object",
            "required": [
                "command",
                "command_maturity",
                "duration_ms",
                "schema_version"
            ],
            "properties": {
                "command": {
                    "type": "string"
                },
                "command_maturity": {
                    "type": "object",
                    "required": [
                        "stage",
                        "label",
                        "sequence",
                        "public_executable",
                        "stability",
                        "summary",
                        "promotion_review_required",
                        "assessment_scope"
                    ],
                    "properties": {
                        "stage": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "label": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "sequence": {
                            "type": "integer"
                        },
                        "public_executable": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "stability": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "summary": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "promotion_review_required": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "assessment_scope": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "note": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "review": {
                            "type": "object",
                            "required": [
                                "reviewed_on",
                                "rationale",
                                "evidence"
                            ],
                            "properties": {
                                "reviewed_on": {
                                    "type": "string",
                                    "format": "date"
                                },
                                "rationale": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                },
                                "evidence": {
                                    "type": "array",
                                    "minItems": 1,
                                    "items": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                },
                                "replacement": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                }
                            },
                            "additionalProperties": false
                        }
                    },
                    "additionalProperties": true
                },
                "duration_ms": {
                    "type": "number"
                },
                "schema_version": {
                    "type": "integer"
                }
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "analyzed_bytes": [],
        "analyzed_path": [],
        "details": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
                "target": [],
                "sampling": [],
                "binary_analysis": [],
                "detected_type": []
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "error": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "error_code": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "file_path": [],
        "file_size": [],
        "file_size_readable": [],
        "is_binary": [],
        "mime_type": []
    },
    "additionalProperties": true
}

Errors and limits

The public contract requires success=false and a descriptive message on failure. This catalog does not yet declare a command-specific error taxonomy; inspect the result and do not invent error codes.

QZX is alpha software. Optional dependencies, permissions, and host capabilities can change the result.

Evidence workflow: ready for deterministic automated capture.

Evidence and provenance

Implementation: src/qzx/commands/file/is_file_binary.py
Tests: tests/test_file_commands/test_is_file_binary.py
Documentation channel: Development documentation 0.2.2.0.8 · main · sha256:9aa902dfb6b006017e52972bf7871fef49b03ec24ff80741231d743d0354bfc2
Availability: 0.2.2.0.8 or earlier

Keep exploring

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