Developers face problems created by others every day - when asked to maintain someone else's code, or when forced to use a third-party library without documentation. They might come across exactly the feature they need to implement but can't get hold of the source code. They might spend frustrating hours trying different solutions that don't work. Instead, the techniques in this book will teach developers to decompile, patch, and reverse-engineer applications, to better understand their implementation, and to work more efficiently with applications developed by others.

Covert Java offers a unique approach to solving common Java problems, from combating obfuscation in code, to patching core classes to change the intended function of an application. Each chapter focuses on a technique that solves a specific problem - outlining the problem, demonstrating the solution, then suggesting additional ideas for developers to test out the technique. Many chapters include anecdotal examples of the technique in action, and finish with summaries to ensure developers understand the most crucial points of the chapter.