topic Re: reading a object file in Operating System - HP-UX

reading a object file

Yogendra — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:35:57 GMT

Hi,
I have a myname.o object file but i dont have the source code for the same.
Is there any way by which I can convert the myname.o to get the .c/.cc file.
I mean can a object file be converted to source file?

Re: reading a object file

Michael Schulte zur Sur — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:40:35 GMT

Hi,

I dont think so. The most would be an assembler listing.

greetings,

Michael

Re: reading a object file

A. Clay Stephenson — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:40:44 GMT

In a word, no. The best you can do is disassemble the object to get to assembly source but I doubt that will do you much good.

Re: reading a object file

Yogendra — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:43:36 GMT

Hi,
How will i do the assembler listing?
could you please tell me the command

Re: reading a object file

Alzhy — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:49:04 GMT

What you are asking is to "reverse-engineer" an object file... Doable but difficult.. one would have to deal with assembler code here...

Re: reading a object file

James Lynch — Tue, 25 Nov 2003 08:35:08 GMT

Many many moons ago there was a program called uncc that would take assembly code and convert it back into C code. The problem was that the resulting C code was unreadable and did not look anything like the original sorce code. This made the tool virtually unusable, unless it was used by the most savy individual.

That issue coupled with the social ramification of being able steal one's source code by having only the binaries, sealed this tool's fate.

JL