View source of an EXE

[gilly]

Does anyone know if it is possible to view the source code of a vb EXE?. i.e. reverse the EXE to vb source code & show me how it was coded?

I have a piece of software which was written by a previous employee & i need to be able view his source code.
All that i have is the EXE which is already bundled up & finished, I need to extract the validation section from his code as it will be the same in my new project. (Validation section was massive so that's why i cant do it from scratch)

We own the license for the software already so theres no issues with legalities.

Are there any programs out there which can be downloaded to do this?

cheers

[Moronic]

I don't know if it's possible because if it were, then everyone would rip everyone's work, and no program that is copyrighted would be worth anything...but what do I know, I'm a programming newbie.

I'm pretty sure theres not, but if there is a way, I would like to know also.

[si_the_geek]

Originally posted by gilly
We own the license for the software already so theres no issues with legalities.

License for software <> License for Code of the software
(admittedly it sounds as though he worked for your company, in which case the company owns both).


Basically you cant convert back to VB (assuming VB 5 or 6).

There are ways of doing it for earlier versions, and there are apparently ways of getting some form of code (usually Assembly code) out of a VB 5/6 exe, which is not likely to be readable to a VB-only developer.


The easiest option is likely to be reverse-engineering the software (give it several sets of input, and work out what it does each time).

[kleinma]

what you are talking about it decompiling... and no you can't do it.. sorry. How can your company not have the source code for a program a previous employee wrote? he took it with him?

[Jmacp]

Apparently its impossible to do a 100% decompliation but i did read on some formum of a VB6,5 decomplier that produced source code for any VB EXE that was pretty close to the original. They wouldn't say where the decomplier was but it sounded like a genuine post.

Anyway theres a good chance the exe will have some kind of encryption on it anyway throwing any decomplier off.

[Spajeoly]

Ever try turning a cake back into Eggs, flower and milk?

[Jlarini]

Spajeoly,

This cake with flower is interesting... it tastes good ??? or only smells good ???

Guys,

I used sometime ago a "decompiler" that only gets back the functions and Subs Data (without code)... It's the only one I know that makes some work like that...


Sorry...


João Luiz

[numtel]

I've got a VB6 docompiler but it works only on a few things, you might get lucky and it could work but usually it just turns up very basic information. It's not on my computer here but if you really want it, PM me.

[EJ12N]

as si_the_geek said only disasembling the program and looking thru the ASM Code you can get the source code =)
Remember you gotta know the VB Fucntions in the dissambler because they not the same as in VB example

Msgbox...VB6
rtcMsgbox....dissasembler function :P

and is hard lol...

[Robbo]

lloks like you have a lot of validation code to write, would have a look at the backups, or on the machine the wrote the software on and have alook for any of the VB files, from an exe u havent got much chance

[crpietschmann]

http://vbrezq.com/

VB RezQ saves you both time and effort.
Let VB RezQ help you re-write your program by re-creating your source files from the data that's hidden inside the compiled file. Look at this example of what VB RezQ does.


VB RezQ provides an accurate framework on which you can rebuild your VB application. It identifies and re-creates all the source files, recovers the project file, the graphical design of each form, references to custom controls and declarations for API calls. It also identifies all events and subroutines. Note: VB RezQ does not recover the source code within subroutines.

[chemicalNova]

The earlier versions of VB also stored the comments in the executable. Not helpful I know, but just adding it..

Phreak

[veins]

You can reengineer the whole Exe but I am not sure how much would you succeed as the result may or may not make sense to you. But de compiler would help in case you are lucky.

[Merrion]

Do you have the debug symbols for the executable?
(usually a file called exename.dbg and created by compiling the app with the generate debug information option switched on)

[Jlarini]

If VB RezQ doesn't retrieves the routines data, say me what f**k it helps him ???

I tried it some time ago, as I said before (I just forgot its name...), it's helpful to retrieve the Subs / Functions structures, but... What if we need the code ???

In my case, I've lost all the project, and it helps... nothing...

[]s

JL

[RhinoBull]

Originally posted by crpietschmann
http://vbrezq.com/

VB RezQ saves you both time and effort.
Let VB RezQ help you re-write your program by re-creating your source files from the data that's hidden inside the compiled file. Look at this example of what VB RezQ does.


VB RezQ provides an accurate framework on which you can rebuild your VB application. It identifies and re-creates all the source files, recovers the project file, the graphical design of each form, references to custom controls and declarations for API calls. It also identifies all events and subroutines. Note: VB RezQ does not recover the source code within subroutines.

There never was true decompiler for VB (any version).
VB RezQ is just another attempt to accomplish this but in reality it doesn work. Here is a quote from their site:

1. VB RezQ recovers the binary .frx file that partners this .frm file.
2. VB RezQ does not recover Attribute VB_TemplateDerived as this cannot be determined from the compiled file.
3. VB RezQ recovers part of the DLL declaration but cannot determine its argument list, so it is commented out.
4. VB RezQ recovers the procedure declaration but not its executable code.
5. This procedure is commented out as VB RezQ cannot determine its argument list or its type (Sub, Function, Get, Let, Set).