522:. This may commonly cause a program bug if some of the appearances of the value are modified, but not all of them. Such a bug is hard to find and may remain in the program for a long time. A similar problem may occur if the same hard-coded value is used for more than one parameter value, e.g. an array of 6 elements and a minimum input string length of 6. A programmer may mistakenly change all instances of the value (often using an editor's search-and-replace facility) without checking the code to see how each instance is used. Both situations are avoided by defining
43:
227:. Programmers may not have a dynamic user interface solution for the end user worked out but must still deliver the feature or release the program. This is usually temporary but does resolve, in a short term sense, the pressure to deliver the code. Later, softcoding is done to allow a user to pass on parameters that give the end user a way to modify the results or outcome.
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since the average user installs to the default drive and directory and testing might not include the option of changing the installation directory. However, it is advisable for programmers and developers not to fix the installation path of a program, since the default installation path depends on the operating system, OS version, and
373:
If a
Windows program is programmed to assume it is always installed to C:\Program Files\Appname and someone tries to install it to a different drive for space or organizational reasons, it may fail to install or to run after installation. This problem might not be identified in the testing process,
417:" programs look for a particular file on a floppy disk or flash drive on startup to verify that they are not unauthorized copies. If the computer is replaced by a newer machine, which doesn't have a floppy drive, the program that requires it now can't be run since the floppy disk can't be inserted.
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The boundary between proper configurability and problematic soft-coding changes with the style and nature of a program. Closed-source programs must be very configurable, as the end user does not have access to the source to make any changes. In-house software and software with limited distribution
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At the extreme end, soft-coded programs develop their own poorly designed and implemented scripting languages, and configuration files that require advanced programming skills to edit. This can lead to the production of utilities to assist in configuring the original program, and these utilities
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This last example shows why hard coding may turn out to be impractical even when it seems at the time that it would work completely. In the 1980s and 1990s, the great majority of PCs were fitted with at least one floppy drive, but floppy drives later fell out of use. A program hard-coded in that
302:. Hardcoded credentials are usually not visible in configuration files or the output of account-enumeration commands and cannot be easily changed or bypassed by users. If discovered, a user might be able to disable such a backdoor by modifying and rebuilding the program from its
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may hard-code a valid serial number to the program or even prevent the executable from asking the user for it, allowing unauthorized copies to be redistributed without the need of entering a valid number, thus sharing the same key for every copy, if one has been hard-coded.
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Avoiding hard coding of commonly altered values is good programming practice. Users of the software should be able to customize it to their needs, within reason, without having to edit the program's source code. Similarly, careful programmers avoid
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In rare cases where the possible number of inputs is small enough, a contestant might consider using an approach that maps all possible inputs to their correct outputs. This program would be considered a hard-coded solution as opposed to an
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Several legitimate design patterns exist for achieving the flexibility that softcoding attempts to provide. An application requiring more flexibility than is appropriate for a configuration file may benefit from the incorporation of a
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The term "hard-coded" was initially used as an analogy to hardwiring circuits - and was meant to convey the inflexibility that results from its usage within software design and implementation. In the context of run-time extensible
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can be less configurable, as distributing altered copies is simpler. Custom-built web applications are often best with limited configurability, as altering the scripts is seldom any harder than altering a configuration file.
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To avoid softcoding, consider the value to the end user of any additional flexibility you provide, and compare it with the increased complexity and related ongoing maintenance costs the added configurability involves.
621:. Abstracting too many values and features can introduce more complexity and maintenance issues than would be experienced with changing the code when required. Softcoding, in this sense, was featured in an article on
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An indirect reference, such as a variable inside the program called "FileName", could be expanded by accessing a "browse for file" dialogue window, and the program code would not have to be changed if the file moved.
219:
Hard coding requires the program's source code to be changed any time the input data or desired format changes, when it might be more convenient to the end user to change the detail by some means outside the program.
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integrated into an established scripting language. Another approach is to move most of an application's functionality into a library, providing an API for writing-related applications quickly.
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One important case of hard coding is when strings are placed directly into the file, which forces translators to edit the source code to translate a program. (There is a tool called
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that permits strings to be left in files, but lets translators translate them without changing the source code; it effectively de-hard codes the strings.)
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In many cases, a single hard-coded value, such as an array size, may appear several times within the source code of a program. This would be a
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or above, but this would cause an error if the profile is stored on a network or otherwise relocated. The proper way to get it is to call the
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may also have been relocated using Folder
Redirection in Group Policy in Windows 2000 or above. The proper way to get it is to call the
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environment variable. Another assumption that developers often make is assuming that the profile is located on a local hard disk.
547:, contestants are required to write a program with specific input-output pattern according to the requirement of the questions.
290:. In this case, the term is not pejorative and refers to general development, rather than specifically embedding output data.
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in their code, to improve its readability, and assist maintenance. These practices are generally not referred to as
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which organize files logically on the hard disk. There are problems that can arise involving hard coding:
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or other executable object, as opposed to obtaining the data from external sources or generating it at
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also refers to developing the core engine of the system responsible for low-level tasks and executing
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Hard coding is especially problematic in preparing the software for translation to other languages.
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versions of
Windows this folder normally has a different name. For example, in Italian versions the
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one (even though the hard-coded program might be the output of an algorithmic program).
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Some
Windows programs hard code the profile path to developer-defined locations such as
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term that refers to obtaining a value or function from some external resource, such as
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Data that is hard-coded is best suited for unchanging pieces of information, such as
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which is developing the high-level scripts that get interpreted by the system at
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Hard-coded data typically can only be modified by editing the source code and
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Softcoded data, on the other hand, encodes arbitrary information through
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Effective
Software Testing: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Testing
597:, which refers to coding values and functions in the source code.
357:, creating the DRM for which it is infeasible to create a keygen.
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Hard coding is often required, but can also be considered an
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manner 15 years ago could face problems if not updated.
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The term is generally used where softcoding becomes an
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directly into a program. Or it is common to hardcode a
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Hardcoding credentials is a popular way of creating a
30:"Hardcoded" redirects here. For the video game, see
349:measure, software developers may hardcode a unique
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
714:. Addison-Wesley Professional. pp. 188–.
429:Some Windows operating systems have so called
378:decisions. For example, many installations of
169:the executable, although it can be changed in
655:. In many cases, the appropriate design is a
255:, with values from external sources, such as
8:
450:. This is the path for the vast majority of
27:Putting data in the source code of a program
634:often end up being 'softcoded' themselves.
470:Some Windows programs hardcode the path to
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
738:Alice and Bob Learn Application Security
700:
543:In computing competitions such as the
233:collaborative development environments
545:International Olympiad in Informatics
7:
65:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
360:On the opposite case, a software
211:, and is determined at runtime.
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735:Tanya Janca (14 October 2020).
393:There was a similar issue with
308:if source is publicly available
52:needs additional citations for
390:, but this is not guaranteed.
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539:Hard coding in competitions
458:function or to resolve the
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445:C:\Documents and Settings\
397:in early computers, which
335:end-user license agreement
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347:digital rights management
708:Elfriede Dustin (2002).
657:domain-specific language
466:My Documents folder path
294:Hardcoding and backdoors
741:. Wiley. pp. 15–.
456:GetUserProfileDirectory
369:Fixed installation path
669:Closed-source software
591:command-line arguments
585:, external constants,
273:command-line arguments
267:, external constants,
209:command-line arguments
32:Hardcoded (video game)
679:Inner-platform effect
646:Achieving flexibility
601:Programming practice
61:improve this article
689:Self-modifying code
684:Rule of least power
587:configuration files
316:reverse-engineering
284:configuration files
173:or on disk using a
653:scripting language
629:Potential problems
341:Hardcoding and DRM
186:physical constants
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721:978-0-201-79429-8
399:started execution
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50:This article
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59:Please help
54:verification
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553:algorithmic
479:ProfilePath
405:in memory.
401:at a fixed
327:binary code
312:decompiling
304:source code
282:responses,
167:recompiling
152:source code
144:hard-coding
140:Hard coding
762:Softcoding
695:References
612:softcoding
595:hardcoding
572:text files
564:Softcoding
559:Softcoding
503:function.
355:public key
331:anti-cheat
288:user input
257:text files
249:softcoding
241:hardcoding
201:text files
197:user input
179:hex editor
148:hardcoding
87:newspapers
18:Hard-coded
576:INI files
524:constants
493:Documenti
485:localized
388:hard disk
269:databases
261:INI files
205:INI files
778:Category
674:Firmware
663:See also
507:Solution
447:Username
384:drive C:
376:sysadmin
319:software
300:backdoor
235:such as
215:Overview
175:debugger
117:May 2021
532:gettext
403:address
362:cracker
253:runtime
245:scripts
160:runtime
156:program
101:scholar
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583:macros
413:Some "
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280:server
265:macros
171:memory
142:(also
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566:is a
345:As a
314:, or
154:of a
108:JSTOR
94:books
743:ISBN
716:ISBN
382:use
277:HTTP
237:MUDs
80:news
476:as
310:),
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63:by
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