Extract text from Erlang bytecode files (BEAM)
To convert BEAM bytecode files to another format, you need Erlang/OTP or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Bytecode" file type, you need software like Erlang/OTP or a similar tool.
The .BEAM file format primarily serves as compiled bytecode used by the Erlang Virtual Machine, often referred to simply as BEAM. These files are generated when developers compile source code written in Erlang or Elixir. The virtual machine reads this binary format to execute concurrent, highly scalable applications. Additionally, a smaller portion of .BEAM files are project files created by FLUX Beam Studio, a software application used for designing and executing laser cutting operations. Rarely, they are used as structural analysis files for DSN WinBeam.
The main disadvantage of .BEAM bytecode files is that they are compiled binary data. You cannot open them in a standard text editor. If you lose the original ERL or EX source code, modifying the application logic becomes incredibly difficult. Similarly, Beam Studio project files use a proprietary format that locks your vector designs into a specific hardware ecosystem. Users often want to convert these files to recover lost source code or to migrate laser cutting paths into standard vector formats.
For Erlang files, the primary conversion target is the original ERL source code format. This requires a dedicated decompiler, though variable names and comments are permanently lost during the original compilation. For laser cutter projects, users typically want to extract the underlying SVG or DXF vector graphics to use in other software like Adobe Illustrator.
Because .BEAM files are either complex, compiled binaries or closed, proprietary project formats, standard online converters fail to process them. Often, only the original Erlang/OTP environment or FLUX Beam Studio can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects supported embedded formats, such as an underlying SVG in a laser project, viewing or extracting the data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BEAM file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BEAMD, ZIP, ACSM, BXA0, EMY and EMELODY files.
If you want to convert BEAM file to EXE, MSI, APP, DMG, DEB, RPM, PKG, RUN, SH, BAT, CMD or COM, you can use Erlang/OTP or similar software from the "Erlang VM Compiled Bytecode" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert JAR, APP, SCR, IPA, COM, AAB, PS1, DMG, VBS, EXE, XAPK or MSI files to BEAM, try Erlang/OTP or another comparable tool in the "Erlang VM Compiled Bytecode" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BEAM converter.