[2035] in java-interest
Re: Decompilation of JAVA bytecode to source
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mick Jordan)
Fri Sep 22 05:33:04 1995
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 13:08:03 -0700
From: Mick.Jordan@Eng.Sun.COM (Mick Jordan)
To: java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM, jmarsh@mitre.org
> My understanding is that when the architecture neutral distribution format
> (ANDF) people at OSF developed the ANDF spec, they spent a lot of time
> ensuring that it was "not possible" to decompile ANDF code to source. They
> were extremely concerned about intellectual property issues associated with
> giving people mechanisms that permitted access to source. They believed
> that if it were not possible to protect source, it would be significantly
> more difficult to get vendors to sign up to deliver their code in ANDF. (Of
> course ANDF never went anywhere, but that is/may be a different issue...)
>
Your understanding is wrong. The initial RFT did focus on distribution
and reverse engineering, but all the submissions, including the winner,
TDF from UK Defense Research Institute, were compiler intermediate
languages. I.e. very similar in concept to Java bytecodes. Nic Peeling,
the project lead of TDF, always argued that reverse engineering was
orthogonal to the form of ANDF, and could be handled adequately by some
form of encryption if required.
ANDF didnt get anywhere principally because the computer hardware
companies were all heavily invested in their own compiler technology,
some of which handled multiple architectures already. Problems in
supporting a wide spectrum of languages well, e.g. Fortran, also played
a part, as did licensing issues. Without a strong pull from the
application writers (ISVs) for ANDF, it was easy for them to ignore it.
The existence of the Web and the demand for executable content clearly
puts Java bytecodes in a much stronger position. I.e. there is
enormous pull.
One issue that ISVs did have with ANDF was concern over validating
their app just against the ANDF form. I.e. could they really trust the
installers (interpreters, code generators) to implement the virtual
machine correctly and therefore relieve them of testing against every
conceivable platform. This might become an issue for Java.
Mick Jordan
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