It’s been in my mind if we are using the software/program or even hardware of a tech company, we can play around, install-unsinstall and more. Then how is it so difficult for someone to “unhide” the source code that the device uses? Technically the code is in the device somewhere hidden in it, so it’s there, but still, it’s almost impossible to obtain the source code. How do they achieve this so no one copies their code?
In: 366
You’re correct that the ‘code is in the device’, since the device needs to know how to execute the software
However it’s incorrect that the original ‘source code’ is in the device. Programmers use source code to create abstractions and build complex software out of abstractions. These abstractions are flattened away when the code is converted to something the machine can execute.
So, the reason it’s difficult is because it takes considerable amount of time, skill, and effort to examine the executable and reconstruct a natural understanding of what the code is doing. It’s not impossible, but it’s very time consuming. The process is known as ‘reverse engineering’ and it has been done in the past. If your competitor is desperate to know what your code is doing, they can invest effort into finding out this way. Or they can just try their own ideas on how to solve the problem, which is usually a more productive use of time.
Latest Answers