Self-modifying Code - Application in Low and High Level Languages

Application in Low and High Level Languages

Self-modification can be accomplished in a variety of ways depending upon the programming language and its support for pointers and/or access to dynamic compiler or interpreter 'engines':-

  • overlay of existing instructions (or parts of instructions such as opcode, register, flags or address) or
  • direct creation of whole instructions or sequences of instructions in memory
  • creating or modification of source code statements followed by a 'mini compile' or a dynamic interpretation (see eval statement)
  • creating an entire program dynamically and then executing it

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