Information required on assembler pseudo-code

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

Hi friends,
I required information on
How to write a program that writes a creates for a pseudo-code a given assembler program ? I am trying the same in REXX.

And is it possible to write in any other language as well?

Also, Is there any tool that could provide me the flow of an assembler program?

dick scherrer · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:51 pm

Hello,

Bill Dennis · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:54 pm

Do you want a program that will read Assembler code and create text such as

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

Hi,

I want to create a tool which can help people analyse an assembly code.

The output could pretty much be as shown by bill. I have to decide the languages eg REXX/Cobol, etc. which could be used to create such a tool.

Please suggest out of your experience & understanding, the name & feasibility of the languages you name. Your inputs in thi context would be valuable.

Thanks,

Snehil

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

This tool has to be created to reduce the time people spend on analysing assembly programs & help them understand the assembly program.

The functionality should basically help in reverse engineering purposes.

Thanks.

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:28 pm

Hello,

Good luck implementing this "tool" - it will be a substantial undertaking. Your code will have to be able to do pretty much everything the assembly process does and instead of reducing the source to object, it will need to expand it to english-like pseudo-code.

In the past, my teams have had success mapping the functions within an assembler module - the individual lines of code are not so important, but rather what does each piece of code in the module accomplish? Once the specs for the small pieces of the whole module are understood, re-coding in some other language is not difficult.

Places that tried to convert line-by-line from assembler to cobol had a lot of problems because the assembler will not convert 1-for-1 to cobol and people got caught trying to "force" the code.

Long ago, there were some commercial products that would convert assembler to cobol, but the generated cobol was horrendous. It might compile, but it was nearly impossible to maintain. I've not looked for anything like this for many years.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:32 pm

hi Dick,
the gentleman has two topics on the same subject,
and I started replying to the other one and PMed the guy
and I deleted a third one

I will cut and paste my reply from the other topic and delete it

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:35 pm

here is my post moved from the other topic with the question asked there

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

Hi,

Thanks Dick for your feedback. Yes, the real challenge here is to figure out a way to make the program understand "pieces of code" of the assembly program. Which languages did your team use to amalyse the code line by line? ...please share...

Yes, my organisation is aware of commercial tools for assembler re-engineering, but wants to develop one of its own. (My manager has asked me to do this task)

Thanks Enrico, for your suggestion. No, I do not have any experience in compiler construction techniques and tools. It would be so nice of you if you could direct me to a proper source where I can learn the essential knowledge regarding compiler contruction techniques & tools. Your feedback on this matter would be valuable. The project is not mission critical. I had suggested my managers to buy such re-eingineering tools, but they do not want to buy it .... dunno y....

"remember also that answering is on
voluntary effort
time availability
knowledge "
I respect the time people spend on answering to queries such as mine & sharing their knowledge...Thnks 4 being patient with me..

I apologize for multiple thread creation. The other thread was posted by one of my team mates using my ID, without my knowledge.

Have a nice time...

~ Snehil

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:17 pm

It will take a bit of time,
but I will try to give You ( innocent victim )
an Your dummy organization a few references

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

Thanks Enrico... waiting for your reply...

dick scherrer · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:46 pm

Hello Snehil,

isnehil · New User Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: mumbai

Hi dick,

Thanks for sharing this info with me...

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:13 pm

here is a good link, with lots of training to be done

http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/fermat.html

i started researching google with "assembler re-engineering"

and here is a simpler tool...

http://www.vm.ibm.com/download/packages/descript.cgi?ANALYSE

researching google with "s 370 assembler parsers"

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:09 pm

I must have had a brain check thru all the thread ...
( knew about it but i had forgotten .... )

check

http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/ASMTUG10/CCONTENTS?SHELF=ASMSH020&DN=GC26-8710-08&DT=20040803114456

for the Program understanding Tool

looks like that' s what You were looking for