Hollywood forums

Hi, I lost my .hws scripts, I only have compiled executables now. Is there a way to extract the script out of them?
Thank you.

unfortunately, and also good so, no.

Point being that if people could extract scripts out of compiled executables, then anyone could simply extract the code of your software/games, and make own versions of them and sell them.

So while it is unfortunate in case you have lost them, it is good in that if you are making a product in a competitive market, especially with some new features, or perhaps faster code than ever done before, you are also able to keep that edge, instead of losing it right after release.

I am sorry for your accident. It is a very annoying thing when you lost some source.
However the executables contains a somehow chewed (tokenized) version of the script it may be easier to rewrite it than rebuild the source from that.
Even if you could recover it, you would lost remarks, origininal structrure.

How large project was that?

Sometimes I am using a @FILE 64,"script.hws" preprocessor command to link the source to the executables just for securing the source, but as @Bugala said, it is exposing your script to others. Maybe that is not a big deal for hobby developments.

lazi wrote: ↑Mon Sep 08, 2025 10:51 am Sometimes I am using a @FILE 64,"script.hws" preprocessor command to link the source to the executables just for securing the source, but as @Bugala said, it is exposing your script to others.

In that case you could use the COMPRESS argument so that your script isn't visible when looking at your executable using a hex editor.