IDAPython Code <-> Data

Question

I'm looking for a way, to make programmatically change of data type. This is the same as you press 'C' or 'D'.

For example convert this:

.text:00401008 unk_401008      db  55h ; U             ; CODE XREF: start↑p
.text:00401009                 db  8Bh ; ‹
.text:0040100A                 db 0ECh ; ì
.text:0040100B                 db  83h ; ƒ
.text:0040100C                 db 0ECh ; ì

to this:

.text:00401008 loc_401008:                             ; CODE XREF: start↑p
.text:00401008                 push    ebp
.text:00401009                 mov     ebp, esp
.text:0040100B                 sub     esp, 0Ch

and vice versa.

These functions should be listed here https://www.hex-rays.com/products/ida/support/idapython_docs/ but I can't find it.

So far I found only this:

generate_disasm_line(here(), GENDSM_FORCE_CODE)

but it only prints data to output, and does not change the "IDA View" window content.

Thanks

Answer 1

ah, to create code there is:

create_insn(here())

The last question, when I'm trying to create data from code I'm getting False:

Python>create_byte(here())
False
Python>create_data(here(), FF_BYTE, 0x79, 0)
False

This is because I need previously del_items()

Answer 2

To create code, there is:

create_insn(here())

To create data:

ida_bytes.create_byte(here()) # create byte at the specified address
ida_bytes.create_data(here(), ida_bytes.dword_flag(), 4, ida_netnode.BADNODE) # create a dword variable at the specified address

ida_bytes.create_data documentation.

If you already have something defined there at that address, or something defined before it that spans through that address, for example, variable at address 0x100 that spans 8 bytes and you want to create a variable at address 0x104, use ida_bytes.del_items to undefine bytes first.