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The Question is:
Hi,
I searched the FAQ for the answer, but did find one. Do you know if there are
any utilities (VMS or third party) that will convert a OpenVMS image back to
its original source code or something close?
The Answer is :
Reversing the process of assembly and particularly of compliation is
exeedingly difficult; the creation of an image is effectively a one-way
operation given the typical code optimization, function-inlining, and
instruction resequencing that occurs when the image is built. Not to
mention that constructs such as comments and symbolic variable names
are stripped off.
It is possible to revert executable code back to the particular platform
native instruction set -- Macro32 for OpenVMS VAX and Macro64 for OpenVMS
Alpha -- via a class of tool known as a disassembler.
The OpenVMS Wizard is aware of disassemblers that have been available for
OpenVMS VAX, but has not particularly researched the availability of
disassemblers for OpenVMS Alpha.
You can use the OpenVMS debugger to display decoded instructions (for
user-mode code), as well.
Unable to locate the source code, eh?
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