disassembleertype

Disassembleertype is a conceptual term used in software engineering and reverse engineering to classify the approach a disassembly tool takes when translating binary code into a human- or machine-readable form. It is not a single software product, but a framework for comparing the assumptions, methods, and outputs of different disassemblers.

It focuses on how a tool models the underlying instruction set, decodes instructions, resolves references, and reconstructs control flow. Common axes of classification include static versus dynamic analysis, linear sweep versus recursive-descent decoding, and context-sensitive versus context-insensitive interpretation of instructions and data.

A disassembleertype may also specify how the tool handles ambiguous regions, self-modifying or obfuscated code, and memory models such as flat or segmented addressing. Outputs can range from raw assembly language to intermediate representations or detailed control-flow graphs, with varying levels of annotation, symbol recovery, and data-type guesses.

Because there is no universal standard for disassembly, the term is primarily used to frame discussions, benchmark tool behavior, or guide method selection in research and practice. Critics note that different disassemble types can yield divergent results on the same binary, especially for optimized, obfuscated, or self-modifying code.

See also: disassembly, reverse engineering, static analysis, dynamic analysis, program analysis.