cbyte v1.2 BETA
===============
written by Nightrage (har_yar@hotmail.com)
for GameMaker 8.0

Info (Installation):
This Extension needs to be installed in the following steps
1) Open the Application GameMaker 8.0
2) Find the icon "green plus" with the mouse-over-tag "select the extension packages used", in your toolbar on the top under the menu. And click on it.
3) Find and click on the button "Install" (right bottom corner of the Extension Packages - Dialog).
4) Again in the next Dialogind, find and click on the button "Install" (top right Corner of the Installing Extension Packages - Dialog)
5) In the Open Dialog find the file "cbyte_v11.gex" and click on the button "open".
6) Back in your "Install Extension Packages" click on the button ok (bottom right corner of the dialog).
7) Now in your "Extension Packages-Dialog" find the Entry "cbyte" within the list-box to the right and select/mark it.
With selecting the entry there should be an Arrow-Button between both List-Boxes, please click on it.
9) When done so, please click on the button ok located on the bottom left corner of the Extension Packages Dialog.
Done!

About this extension:
This Extension lets you store Values and String in Byte Format and lets you also save it in a file.
Every real value will be downsized up to 50% and saves you valuable diskspace.

How to use:
Let's say you would like to store you variable "Score" or "Health" in a file as byte-string.
You can do this with the function "cbyte_set()":

//GML code starts here
cbyte_set('filename.dat',Score,0,0,0); //we save it as "filename.dat" storing the value of the variable "Score" which is a value (real number) as Type "0" at Position "0". The last Argument defines the Crypt-level (which can only be used for Strings and can not be higher than 20).
//GML code ends here

MORE: cbyte_set(fname,string/value,type(0=real/1=string),position,crypt-level(1-20));

And now let's say you would like to read this value. You can use therefore the function cbyte_get():

//GML Code starts here
var d1;
d1 = cbyte_get('filename.dat',0,0); //Make sure you have remembered the correct position.
show_message(string(d1));
//GML Code ends here

MORE: cbyte_get(fname,type(0=real/1=string),position);

You can do this with Strings aswell. Just use Type 1 (for string) instead.
IMPORTANT:
1) You have to remember to use correct positions, for example:
your string is 10 Chars long which u store at position 0.
The NEXT Value has to be considered at position >string length + 6 which would be 16.
So the next Value can be stored at position 16.

BUT since version 1.1, cbyte provides a helpful function which lets you record where your positions are,
and it also returns the next free position as a real number. It works as follow:

//GML Code starts here
var d1;
d1 = cbyte_pin('yup.dat','record.txt','next'); //Returns the last free position in your file. Argument 1 is the file you wish to read from. Argument 2 is the file which you wish to store the position inormation in, leve it as '' if not wanted. In Argument 2 you can specify what you wish to mark it as leave as 0 if not needed.
show_message(string(d1));
//GML Code ends here

in the text file it will look like this:

//TXT
Position 22 = next

2) A real Value may not be longer than 12 numbers.

Hope it helps.
Please report any bugs to my email Address.
Thank you