Re: Datasheet-flation?

On 2024-12-01 21:08, Don Y wrote:

On 12/1/2024 6:27 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

Obfuscators preserve the intended functionality.  They just dick with
the steps to get TO it.
>
E.g., display_crt(31, A1) might be transformed into:
>
     figger = 961;
     bugger(123, 9987, foo);
     blandow();
>
>
bugger(int vvvrs, int vvvsr, char *gobbler) {
     fftre = strlen(gobbler) + 88;
     for (greg = fftre; greg -= 3; greg > 4)
              sstste += greg[gobbler];
     figger += 8*8 - 1;
}
>
blandow() {
     display_crt(sqrt(figger), A1);
     figger -=25;
}

 

>
Ok, but the LabWindows IDE of the time would possibly explode. That thing converted code C <-> Basic, so the C language you could use was limited.

 Possibly.  But, someone EXPERIENCED with it would likely know what you
can do to make code "less readable" -- without throwing up red flags that
you were intentionally doing so.
 Consider how many folks write unreadable code without even TRYING to do so!
The "production code" that I've seen has, for the most part, been... GHASTLY!
(as if the programmer was just trying to get it /work/ with no concerns for
style, reliability, readability, etc.)

That could be

 

Besides, I would tell my boss not to pay him or to sue.

 That assumes you have someone competent to review the original work.
Often, folks hire "outside talent" because they don't have the
skills, internally.

Correct, that's why they hired me ;-)

 And, such "evaluations" are always subjective; you can't POINT to
some particular thing and say "this is bad" -- even if the whole
thing is bad!  The boss weighs that against "Yeah, but does it WORK?
If I don't pay him, will I have to find someone else to solve MY
problem??  And, how long will THAT take?"
 

There is that. He would have to pay that programmer in the future for any small modification of the program, though. And he did want a few modifications (the specs from the client got modified as they saw the result)
--
Cheers, Carlos.