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PYC Files

Newt newt_e at blueyonder.co.uk
Thu Dec 19 13:58:52 EST 2002 
"Peter Hansen" <peter at engcorp.com> wrote in message
news:3E0214B7.1005775D at engcorp.com...
> Newt wrote:
> >
> > Quick couple of questions:
> >
> > Are the .pyc files system independant?
> > Can .pyc files be 'uncompiled' back to the original source code?
> > When releasing software, is it normal to release the .py files, or .pyc
> > files?
> > Lastly, is there such a thing as a runtime environment (like with Visual
> > Basic) that can be downloaded, or does the full release need to be
> > downloaded?
>
> The general direction of your questions seems to be towards ensuring
> that end-users cannot reproduce the source once you deliver the program
> to them.
>
> The short answer to this is that with Python, it is not worth the effort
> to try to prevent this except via licensing.  Choose the packaging method
> based on other considerations, not based on source-protection.
>
> If you must do this, the best approach currently might be to use Jython,
> as it compiles to .class files which, I would guess, cannot easily be
> reverse-engineered back to the Python source.  That wouldn't stop anyone
> from "stealing" your stuff, however, one way or the other, so you still
> need to spend time ensuring you have a proper license in place for the
> users.
>
> There are *many* frequent discussions along these lines in this newsgroup,
> so please search the archives before asking for more background.  There
> are probably no new answers...
>
> -Peter

Nope, I don't mind users seeing the source. I want to release only what I
need to, and to ensure that potential users have a small download.

Newt
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