Mangle-It Java New Project Wizard
Mangle-It provides an easy to use wizard to create new projects. A "project" represents a single codebase you wish to obfuscate.
Screen 1: Welcome to New Project Wizard
Screen 2 : Paths and Replacement Characters
Paths. When Mangle-It mangles your code, it first copies your files from their original or primary location into a separate folder called the Mangle Folder. In this way, your original source code is never touched. This screen lets you to specify the paths to the source and destination folders.
Replacement Characters. When Mangle-It replaces symbols in your source code with meaningless identifier, it typically does so with random sequences of two letters. So MyFunc() would be replaced with something like XXXYYXYXYXYXY(). You can specify which two letters are used in the identifier in the window below.
Screen 3 : Mangle Actions
Note: these selections can be changed at any time by going to the Projects menu and selecting Project Settings.
This screen lets you choose which actions Mangle-It will perform when mangling your code. Note that copying files from the Primary to the Mangled folder and removing comments are always performed. The following are the other actions Mangle-It will perform on your code.
Strip Comments: If specfied, Mangle-It will remove all comments from the mangled code.
Mangle Strings: Mangle-It will replace string literals in your code with encrypted strings. If you choose this option you must add files generated by Mangle-It to your code base so the strings can be decrypted at run time.
Update Symbols in Comments: Sometimes code generation systems like XDoclet make use of symbols in comments. If you specify "Update Symbols in Comments" any symbols Mangle-It obfuscates in your source code will also be obfuscated in any comments.
Update Symbols in XML: Sometimes Java frameworks like Spring or Struts make use of symbols in xml files. If you specify "Update Symbols in XML" any symbols Mangle-It obfuscates in your source code will also be obfuscated in any xml files found in the destination tree.
Mangle Symbols: Every symbol that is defined in your project is replaced by a meaningless string, making your code unreadable. Symbols defined externally, like toString() or a function defined in a library you do not have source code for, are added to No-Mangle Lists. Symbols in No-Mangle Lists are left alone in the mangled code and not replaced with meaningless strings.
Screen 4: Mangle-it No-Mangle Lists
As described above, certain symbols that are defined outside your code cannot be mangled or a compile error would result. For example, if you replaced String.valueOf() with a meaningless string your code would not compile. Generally these identifiers are defined in external libraries.
Mangle-It provides No-Mangle Lists for many commonly used Java Libraries. By selecting a No-Mangle List any identifier contained in that list will not be mangled. For instance if your project uses Spring, and you select the Spring Framework No-Mangle List, then those symbols will not be mangled in your code. Going through your code and manually adding each of these symbols to a No-Mangle list would be very time consuming, so Mangle-It ships with over 160,000 symbols already included in No-Mangle lists.
Note that each project has its own No-Mangle List, and you can create your own No-Mangle lists that can be used between projects.
Screen 5: String Decryption
Mangle-It will encrypt string literals in your code. In order for these strings to be decrypted at run-time you will need to add files generated by Mangle-It to your code base. This dialog lets you specify the file and classname used, as well as the encryption key. To create the decryption files click the Browse button to select a location then click "Create Decrypt Files".
Note that if you do not create decrypt files now you may do so later by visiting the Project Settings screen.
Screen 6: Handling Special Cases
Instructions for handling special cases.
Screen 7: Confirm and Finish
This screen summarizes your previous selections. Click the FINISH key to create your project, or use the BACK key to change information.
