How to protect code inside extension for Illustrator?

[livl17017666]

I created extension for Illustrator using Adobe CEP.

How I can protect code inside?

And not only apply obfuscators to make code invisible but to not be able to open actual folder where is extension after installing?

What is the best option for that?

[Charu Rajput]

Hi,

For js files you can use some of the existing node modules or libraries to obfuscate your files.

For jsx files, you can convert into binary - Binary 

[Sergey Osokin]

Why do you want to block access to the extension folder? If you obfuscate the JS code, then the rest of the files: manifest.xml, icons, css, html are of less value. I don't think there is a cross-platform script to change access in Explorer (PC) or Finder (Mac) to a folder that would be executed when installing the extension. If Adobe Illustrator is running, it should get access to the folder for reading files itself.

[livl17017666]

There where some other files related to licensing there.

But I take the hash of these files at runtime, and compare it against the hardcoded hash to check for authenticode signatures.

What librairies to obfuscate do you use?

Also I can see that there is .aip file format is it possible to convert this Adobe CEP created extension into that .aip?

[Sergey Osokin]

Example: JsxBlindRun script, TextToJSXBIN plugin for VScode, website javascriptobfuscator[.]com.

AIP is a plug-in format for Adobe Illustrator written in C++. The files are located in the Plug-ins folder.

[livl17017666]

In the case you have experience  .aip, does that appraach works more stable then this Adobe CEP? In the sense that it crash less offten when it is some more complex automation workflow and similar stuff that we have with ExtendScript sometimes..

[Sergey Osokin]

I don't do plugins, but the short answer is: C++ plugins have full or almost full access to Illustrator core, but are difficult to support different platforms and SDKs of each Illustrator version. And ExtendScript has almost no progress when major updates of Illustrator are released, slow on a large number of operations, restricted object model, but they are universal for PC and MAC users and easier to learn.