Extract text from StarBoard lessons or YARA rules (YAR)
To convert YAR lessons or rules to another format, you need Hitachi StarBoard or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Whiteboard Lesson Archive" file type, you need software like Hitachi StarBoard or a similar tool.
The .YAR file format primarily serves two unrelated functions: an interactive lesson archive for digital whiteboards or a malware pattern-matching rule. Hitachi StarBoard Software generates .YAR files to store educational presentations. These files operate as standard ZIP containers holding XML layout instructions, images, and multimedia elements. Conversely, cybersecurity researchers write .YAR files in plain text to define rules for the YARA malware analysis tool.
The primary disadvantage of a StarBoard .YAR file is its strictly proprietary nature. You cannot open these interactive lessons in standard office suites or web browsers. Sharing requires the recipient to install specific whiteboard software. Without the native application, the interactive elements remain inaccessible, making collaboration difficult. Standard online converters fail to process this format because the internal XML structure relies exclusively on Hitachi's rendering engine.
To work around these restrictions, the best conversion target for a StarBoard lesson is a ZIP archive. Renaming the extension allows users to extract the embedded JPG or PNG media. For YARA rules, users typically convert the files to standard TXT or MD for sharing and documentation.
Because StarBoard files rely on a closed, proprietary format, often only the original software can properly read or export the fully formatted data to a PDF. Our system inspects the internal file signature. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format - like a standard ZIP structure or raw text - viewing or extraction may still be possible without the original software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your YAR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted FLIPCHART, CFL and PWB files.
If you want to convert YAR file to , you can use Hitachi StarBoard or similar software from the "Interactive Whiteboard Lesson" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to YAR, try Hitachi StarBoard or another comparable tool in the "Interactive Whiteboard Lesson" 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 YAR converter.