FoxLift

FoxLift is an open-source Visual FoxPro 9 decompiler. It reads compiled VFP files and produces a source tree that can be inspected, versioned, and rebuilt where the input is fully supported.

FoxLift is under active development. Treat output as unverified unless the command reports "verified": true.

Install

Install the command with pipx or uv:

pipx install foxlift
# or
uv tool install foxlift

To install into the current Python environment instead:

python -m pip install foxlift

Use

Inspect a compiled file without writing output:

foxlift inspect app.exe --json

Decompile it to a directory:

foxlift decompile app.exe -o recovered

decompile exits with 0 only when every discovered section was lifted inside the supported slice. Exit code 2 means partial output was written but could not be fully verified. Invalid or unsupported input exits with 1.

On an .app or .exe, decompile reads the container's own directory: every compiled member and every form, class library or report gets a NNNN_<name>/ folder, lifted exactly as the same file on its own would be.

Extract an application into a named project tree:

foxlift extract app.exe -o recovered

extract names every file from the container's own directory: compiled .fxp and .mpx members come back as .prg and .mpr source, form and class tables are reconstructed with their method source restored, and tables, memo sidecars, and raw resources are written byte-for-byte. The detected startup program is reported. Exit 0 means every entry landed; 2 means the tree was written with named misses.

FoxLift works offline and does not require Visual FoxPro at runtime.

A worked example ships in demo/: authored source, compiled on a real VFP9, decompiled with this CLI, recompiled byte-identical — with every exit code, hash, and per-section verdict recorded in its receipts.

Scope

FoxLift targets unprotected Visual FoxPro 9 artifacts, including .fxp, .app, .exe, .scx, .vcx, .frx, and .mnx files. Coverage varies by format and language feature while development continues.

Decompiler output is functionally equivalent source, not the original source. Comments are not present in compiled bytecode, and some expressions lose their original spelling during compilation. Protected or encrypted applications are not supported.

Only decompile software you own or are authorized to inspect.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and contribution rules. Do not submit proprietary binaries, confidential data, or output derived from ReFox.

FoxLift is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0. Separate commercial terms may be available for proprietary integrations that cannot comply with the AGPL. The FoxLift name and logo are covered by the trademark policy. Project updates are published at foxlift.dev.