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Any way to get source code from an .exe?

7 replies on 1 page. Most recent reply: Oct 22, 2003 5:26 PM by Matt Gerrans

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tory

Posts: 2
Nickname: paint669
Registered: Oct, 2003

Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 18, 2003 10:39 AM
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Is there any way that I can get the code from an exe file? I am in AP computer science and I am trying to create a tic tac toe game using VERY basic java. My teacher has the game all coded out in exe, so i am trying to get the source code from that, so I wont have to go through all the coding myself. Is this possible?


Constant

Posts: 2
Nickname: cons
Registered: Oct, 2003

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 20, 2003 1:30 AM
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possible.. provided if U can read Machine codes... haha

tory

Posts: 2
Nickname: paint669
Registered: Oct, 2003

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 20, 2003 2:08 PM
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well, is there any program that can do this?

Vincent O'Sullivan

Posts: 724
Nickname: vincent
Registered: Nov, 2002

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 20, 2003 2:25 PM
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> I am in AP computer science and I am trying to create a
> tic tac toe game using VERY basic java. My teacher has
> the game all coded out in exe, so i am trying to get the
> source code from that, so I wont have to go through all
> the coding myself. Is this possible?

Yes it's possible (with limitations) but (at the risk of sounding pious) isn't the objective of the course for you to learn how to write programs rather than how to copy them?

Vince.

Matt Gerrans

Posts: 1153
Nickname: matt
Registered: Feb, 2002

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 20, 2003 2:45 PM
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I submit that reverse engineering an exe is a slightly more advanced exercise than writing a tic-tac-toe program.

So this is your first practice with engineering choices: "do I do the small amount of work necessary to fulfill the assignment, or do I do a huge amount of work to avoid it?"

Matt Gerrans

Posts: 1153
Nickname: matt
Registered: Feb, 2002

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 20, 2003 2:51 PM
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By the way, if it were a Java program, wouldn't it be a class file file? Yes, I know there are tools for packing Java projects into an exe, but I doubt that is the case here. In other words, if you reverse-engineer an exe, you will not end up with Java code. The best you could expect is something approximating C/C++/Delphi or something like that, if debugging symbols were included. Without the debugging symbols, the best you can hope for is assembly.

KevinT

Posts: 24
Nickname: metzedler
Registered: Jun, 2003

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 22, 2003 1:37 AM
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If there were such software and it is distribute anywhere, software company wouldn't need to sell their source code for million dollars, people just need to buy the excuting program and reverse it make some changes and sell it again, you can only do that with open source software is that right?

Matt Gerrans

Posts: 1153
Nickname: matt
Registered: Feb, 2002

Re: Any way to get source code from an .exe? Posted: Oct 22, 2003 5:26 PM
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To avoid legal issues, you need to take the cleanroom approach. This form of "innovation" has been used effectively by some well-known and very successful companies:

1) Steal (or reverse engineer) the source code (or hardware designs, etc.).

2) Have a set of engineers study it and write meticulously detailed specifications.

3) Give the specifications to another set of engineers who have signed affidavits asserting that they have never examined the original system, then have them write the code from the specifications.

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