LiveCode Revert From Standalone Application back to source file (.livecode)

Question

In livecode, after I've exported a standalone application, is there a way to revert the executable file back into it's original source file? i.e. turn the .app or .exe back into an editable .livecode

Answer 1

Once the standalone is built, it can't be separated into its component parts again. It used to be possible but that has long since been changed.

Answer 2

AFAIK it isn't an 'issue with the LiveCode IDE', more a change in the way standalone apps are built now, they used to build with a separate Runtime Engine that would open the stacks, but this method was changed when the engine and stacks were combined to build a standalone app.

However, there is a scenario where stacks can still be opened from a standalone app. If you build your app using the "Splash Stack" method, i.e. Have one splash stack to open sub-stacks and check the "Move substacks into individual stack files", or use separate stacks added in the "Standalone Application Settings > Copy Files" option, then these stacks or substacks are available to open in the Mac OS app package or in the Windows Program folder of the standalone.

To protect stacks in this scenario you can use the "Encrypt with password" option available in the commercial version of LC.