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Determining type of language

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  • 12-04-2007 11:05am
    #1
    dent
    Registered Users Posts: 614 ✭✭✭


    Hey,
    I've being asked to update one of my companys legacy products (Long term we are replacing.)

    The problem is all we have is the .exe of the application. We don't even know what language it was written in. We have no idea where the source code is (Although I'm hoping someone still has it).

    Is there anyway from a .exe I can determine the language it was written in?


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    #2
    radioactiveman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 324 ✭✭radioactiveman


    Hi dent,
    You could try looking at the file with a hexadecimal editor, hedit is one that would do it. A lot of the time if an executable is written in c++ you will see some info about header files that has been left in the code, or you'll usually see the compiler name which should give you a clue


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    #3
    bonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    Would knowing what language it was in help in any way?


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    #4
    dent
    Registered Users Posts: 614 ✭✭✭dent


    radioactiveman wrote:
    Hi dent,
    You could try looking at the file with a hexadecimal editor, hedit is one that would do it. A lot of the time if an executable is written in c++ you will see some info about header files that has been left in the code, or you'll usually see the compiler name which should give you a clue

    Thanks radioactiveman I'll try that :)


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    #5
    dent
    Registered Users Posts: 614 ✭✭✭dent


    bonkey wrote:
    Would knowing what language it was in help in any way?

    Of course, might give me a clue to what department/developers originally coded it and lead me to the precious source code. Also give me a clue of how I'm going to integrate it with a Java environment.


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    #6
    Hobbes
    Registered Users Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Unless it was BatchExe Compiled code knowing what the original language was will be no help to you at all. Even if you can get a decompiler for it they generally don't give you anything great that could be worked with.


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    #7
    Mutant_Fruit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,943 ✭✭✭Mutant_Fruit


    Unless he finds out it was in fortron and there was only 1 fortron developer to ever work with the company ;) Then he might be able to track down that dev and wrangle the source code from him.


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    #8
    dent
    Registered Users Posts: 614 ✭✭✭dent


    Just a quick update. After numerous emails and a trail that led almost to our CEO (Seems he was one of the original programmers) I have tracked down the source code.

    Turns out it was written in C. Anyone know a good Free C -> Java convertor?


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    #9
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    dent wrote:
    Turns out it was written in C. Anyone know a good Free C -> Java convertor?

    IMO, forget it. All you will end up with here is one large class file that encompasses the entire program. Sounds like a decent rearchitecture is called for.


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