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Everything about Self-modifying code

Source code that alters its instructions to the hardware while executing

In computer science, self-modifying code is code that alters its own instructions while it is executing – usually to reduce the instruction path length and improve performance or simply to reduce otherwise repetitively similar code, thus simplifying maintenance. The term is usually only applied to code where the self-modification is intentional, not in situations where code accidentally modifies itself due to an error such as a buffer overflow. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Self-modifying codeA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Reachability Analysis of Self Modifying CodeInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Java software solutionsThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: A taxonomy of self-modifying code for obfuscationCited 42 times
  5. Go sideways: Machine codeA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: X86 assembly languageA closely related topic

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🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

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