pcode

Create content-obscured, executable files

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Syntax

pcode(item)
pcode(item,"-R2022a")
pcode(item,"-R2007b")
pcode(item1,item2,...,itemN)
pcode(___,"-inplace")

Description

pcode(item) obfuscates the code in a .m file or folder on the search path and produces P-code files with the extension .p. For example, if item is a .m file named mytest.m, then the resulting file is mytest.p. If item is a folder, then all script or function files in that folder are obfuscated and saved in the current folder. A P-code file takes precedence over the corresponding .m file for execution, even after modifications to the .m file.

Note

Security Considerations: The pcode function produces MATLAB® program files in a proprietary, obfuscated code format. Consider combining multiple approaches to protect sensitive code or data. For more information, see Security Considerations to Protect Your Source Code.

example

pcode(item,"-R2022a") creates the P-code files using a more complex obfuscation algorithm. Files obfuscated in this way run only in MATLAB R2022a and later.

example

pcode(item,"-R2007b") creates the P-code files using the default, legacy algorithm.

pcode(item1,item2,...,itemN) creates P-code files from each .m file or folder specified in a comma-separated list.

example

pcode(___,"-inplace") creates the P-code files in the same folders as the inputs. Specify "-inplace" after any of the input argument combinations in the previous syntaxes.

If the source file resides within a namespace or class folder, then pcode creates the same namespace or class structure to house the resulting P-code files.

example

Examples

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In a file named myfunc.m in your current folder, define a function that returns the square root of a cubic polynomial.

function y = myfunc(x)
y = sqrt(x.^3 + x.^2 + x + 1);
end

Create a P-code file from myfunc.m. 

pcode myfunc

Confirm that MATLAB uses the P-code file when you call myfunc.

a = myfunc(3);
which myfunc
c:\myMATLABfiles\myfunc.p

In a file named myfunc.m in your current folder, define a function that returns the square root of a cubic polynomial.

function y = myfunc(x)
y = sqrt(x.^3 + x.^2 + x + 1);
end

Create a P-code file from myfunc.m using a more complex obfuscation algorithm. Files obfuscated in this way run only in MATLAB R2022a and later. 

pcode myfunc -R2022a

Confirm that MATLAB uses the P-code file when you call myfunc.

a = myfunc(3);
which myfunc
c:\myMATLABfiles\myfunc.p
Open Live Script

Convert selected files from the sparfun folder to P-code files.

Create a temporary folder and define an existing path to .m files.

tmp = tempname;
mkdir(tmp)
cd(tmp)
filename = fullfile(matlabroot,"toolbox","matlab","sparfun","spr*.m");

Create the P-code files.

pcode(filename)
dir(tmp)
.            ..           sprand.p     sprandn.p    sprandsym.p  sprank.p

The temporary folder now contains encoded P-code files.

Open Live Script

Generate P-code files from input files that are part of a class. (You can apply the same procedure to files that are part of a namespace.)

Define classfolder as an existing class folder that contains .m files.

classfolder = fullfile(cd,"@myClass")
classfolder = 
"/tmp/Bdoc25b_2988451_1341039/tpa3e7ac2e/matlab-ex48377006/@myClass"

dir(classfolder)
.          ..         myClass.m

Create a temporary folder. This folder has no class structure at this time.

tmp = tempname;
mkdir(tmp)
cd(tmp)
dir(tmp)
.   ..

Create a P-code file for every .m file in the path classfolder. Because the input files are part of a class, MATLAB creates a folder structure so that the output file belongs to the same class.

pcode(classfolder)
dir(tmp)
.         ..        @myClass

The P-code file resides in the same folder structure.

dir("@myClass")  
.          ..         myClass.p
Open Live Script

Generate P-code files in the same folder as the input files.

Copy several .m files to a temporary folder.

filename = fullfile(matlabroot,"toolbox","matlab","sparfun","spr*.m");
tmp = tempname;
mkdir(tmp)
copyfile(filename,tmp)
dir(tmp) 
.            ..           sprand.m     sprandn.m    sprandsym.m  sprank.m

Create P-code files in the same folder as the original .m files.

pcode(tmp,"-inplace")
dir(tmp)
.            ..           sprand.m     sprand.p     sprandn.m    sprandn.p    sprandsym.m  sprandsym.p  sprank.m     sprank.p

Input Arguments

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.m file or folder to obfuscate, specified as a character vector or string scalar.

  • An input argument that does not have a file extension and is not the name of a folder must be a function on the MATLAB path or in the current folder.

  • When using the wildcard character *, pcode ignores all files without a .m extension.

  • The pcode function does not support live scripts or functions (.mlx).

  • If item resides within a namespace or class folder, then pcode creates the same namespace or class structure to house the resulting P-code files.

List of .m files or folders to obfuscate, specified as a comma-separated list of character vectors or string scalars. The list can include a mix of files and folders.

More About

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Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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See Also

Topics