Is reverse engineering an application the same as decompiling it?What is the core difference between reverse engineering an application and decompiling an application.
Are reverse engineering and decompilation the same?
decompilation
Decompilation is just one method of reverse engineering.From the decompilation description:Decompiling is the process of analyzing an executable or object code binary and outputting source code in a programming language such as C. The process involves translating a file from a low level of abstraction to a higher level of abstraction.Decompilation is usually carried out using a decompiler.From Wikipedia's article on reverse engineering:Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation.Software can be reverse engineered and decompiled. A lot of other things (such as hardware, door locks) can be reverse engineered but not decompiled, because their software/firmware is written in low level languages without a higher-level representation, or, more radically, they don't have any firmware in the first place.