Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Executable compression
open-in-new
<p> Executable compression is any means of <a href="/facts/Data_compression/gMFuY4FT">compressing</a> an <a href="/facts/Executable/VSst9eLA">executable</a> file and combining the compressed data with decompression code into a single executable. When this compressed executable is executed, the decompression code recreates the original code from the compressed code before executing it. In most cases this happens transparently so the compressed executable can be used in exactly the same way as the original. Executable compressors are often referred to as executable packers, runtime packers, software packers, software protectors, or even "<a href="/facts/Polymorphic_packer/JbCNRlCH">polymorphic packers</a>" and "<a href="/facts/Obfuscation_(software)/703yhvVq">obfuscating tools</a>". </p><p>A compressed executable can be considered a <a href="/facts/Self-extracting_archive/xTq54ltw">self-extracting archive</a>, where a compressed executable is packaged along with the relevant decompression code in an executable file. Some compressed executables can be decompressed to reconstruct the original program file without being directly executed. Two programs that can be used to do this are CUP386 and UNP. </p><p>Most compressed executables decompress the original code in memory and most require slightly more memory to run (because they need to store the decompressor code, the compressed data and the decompressed code). Moreover, some compressed executables have additional requirements, such as those that write the decompressed executable to the file system before executing it. </p><p>Executable compression is not limited to binary executables, but can also be applied to scripts, such as <a href="/facts/JavaScript/XhhIIEsl">JavaScript</a>. Because most scripting languages are designed to work on <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">human-readable code</a>, which has a high <a href="/facts/Redundancy_(information_theory)/HnbfBLE0">redundancy</a>, compression can be very effective and as simple as replacing long names used to identify <a href="/facts/Variable_(programming)/VoCKtwml">variables</a> and <a href="/facts/Subroutine/9vFJrg0A">functions</a> with shorter versions and/or removing <a href="/facts/Whitespace_character/Q5xRIaSz">white-space</a>. </p>