Code Obfuscation

October 1997 / Eval / JBuilder Makes Java a Piece of Cake / Code Obfuscation

JBuilder's intriguing "code obfuscation" feature makes it harder for others to download your Java code, modify it subtly, and release it as their own. The process involves two parts, the first of which is not necessarily new. The compiler often rearranges code to speed up execution, and these manipulations often obscure the details in the information-rich Java byte code. The second step involves giving private and loc al variables strange, uncompilable new names that make it harder to trace through the code by hand. Decompiled code is also guaranteed to be uncompilable because it comes with illegal characters in the names.

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Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

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