If you lost your .m file but kept the .p file, your best bet is checking local backups (like Windows Shadow Copy) or Git history.

| Method | Effectiveness | Complexity | |--------|--------------|-------------| | Use pcode with -v4 flag to generate older, weaker P-code | Only if you are the original author | Low | | Third-party Python scripts (e.g., pcode_decoder.py from GitHub) | Works for R2008b–R2014b, ~60% recovery | Medium | | Dumping MATLAB’s memory during execution | High for small functions, but unstable | High (requires debugging) | | Proprietary tools (e.g., "MATLAB P-code Decoder" by some vendors) | Mixed reviews; often overpromise | High cost |

It is used to distribute executable MATLAB code while protecting intellectual property by hiding the logic from the end-user.