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Decompiler - whitetiger0990 - 05-04-2003

Is there a QBasic Decompiler? I look in a lot of places (Including Google) and... None... So is there one out there? If so please tell be were to find it. Thanx


(Sigh.) I'm feeling hungry again. - Glenn - 05-05-2003

Hamburgers are starting to sound real good. Utopian things like decompilers are sort of like perpetual motion machines. If they existed, they wouldn't be all that hard to find. The fact that you couldn't find one isn't a coincidence. Smile (Not to mention the fact that Qbasic doesn't compile programs in the first place. Smile )


Decompiler - toonski84 - 05-05-2003

it's too late, glenn, i converted that hamburger into a cow already Smile

you could always look up bytecodes and write your own, but it would be more confusing than decompiled assembly...


That explains the really ugly thing that just ran through... - Glenn - 05-05-2003

my yard and left something behind for me to step in.


Decompiler - Dav - 05-05-2003

LOL. (And I happened to be eating a hamburger while reading this. Really.)

No, whitetiger0990, there's no program available. Here's microsoft's response to that question:

Code:
Microsoft does not currently offer any product capable of
"decompiling" an object (.OBJ) or executable (.EXE) file back to the
original source code (.BAS). The following are several reasons for
this:

1. No decompiler could exactly reproduce the original source code.

   When a program is compiled to an object and linked to produce an
   executable, most of the "names" used in the original program are
   converted to addresses. This loss of names means that a decompiler
   would have to create unique names for all the variables,
   procedures, and labels, and these names would not be meaningful in
   the context of the program.

   Obviously, source language syntax no longer exists in the compiled
   object file or executable. It would be very difficult for a
   decompiler to interpret the series of machine language instructions
   that exist in an object or executable file and decide what the
   original source language instruction was.

2. If such a decompiler did exist and was available, anyone could use
   it to decompile any executable program produced in the language the
   decompiler was designed for.

   For instance, if a Microsoft BASIC decompiler existed, anyone with
   that decompiler could use it on an executable that you had
   produced and from that executable obtain a copy of your source
   code. The source code to any program you wrote in Microsoft BASIC
   would be available to anyone with the decompiler. Few developers of
   commercial software would want to use a language product that could
   be deciphered, thus allowing others to obtain their source code.


There's some talk from ex-microsoft programmers who swear there was one made for thier private use. I've also seen a Basic decompiler service on a web site which does provide some working BAS code from your exe, but it's a mess and not worth the money asked for the service. I can't remember the url. It's on mindspring...I'll find it .....wait...

- Dav


Decompiler - whitetiger0990 - 05-05-2003

Oh... Well... Cry Thanx


Great. Now I'm gonna have to stop at a fast food... - Glenn - 05-05-2003

joint on the way to work.


Decompiler - oracle - 05-05-2003

Someone started making a decompiler and put it up at www.qbasic.com. But I have no idea how good it is...


Decompiler - toonski84 - 05-05-2003

yeah -- 4 years ago

Code:
Last files update: 27 Jan 1999

man, i wish that guy would just give up his website already. the guy who owns it keeps telling me how it is in his "client"'s best interest to remain the owner of the site as he paid "thousands" for the domain. gimp.


Decompiler - oracle - 05-05-2003

Well... if qbasic.com came free there would be a right royal scrap on who got the name, qbasic is still a very popular name.

You actually know the person who owns the domain???