What is CodeReflect and what can it do?

Updated

CodeReflect is a standalone, free .NET decompiler from DevExtras that turns compiled .NET assemblies back into C# or VB.NET source code. It is aimed at the .NET development community and sits alongside DevExtras' other .NET development tools, which the site groups under "code protection & decompilation." If you have a .NET assembly and want to read its logic as source, CodeReflect is the tool in this lineup built for that job.

What CodeReflect does

The core function is decompilation: taking a .NET assembly (the compiled output you would normally get from a C# or VB.NET project) and reconstructing readable source from it.

  • Input: a .NET assembly.
  • Action: decompile it.
  • Output: C# or VB.NET code.

That output language choice matters. Rather than forcing one target language, CodeReflect lets you work in either C# or VB.NET, so you can read the decompiled result in whichever language you are more comfortable with or whichever matches the rest of your codebase.

Key characteristics

Characteristic Detail
Type .NET decompiler
Cost Free
Distribution Standalone tool
Output languages C# and VB.NET
Audience .NET development community
Provider DevExtras

Two points are worth pulling out. First, "standalone" means it is its own tool rather than a plugin bolted onto an IDE, so you run it independently of your editor. Second, "free" is stated directly on the site — CodeReflect is described as a standalone free .NET decompiler "made available to the .NET development community."

Where it fits in the DevExtras toolset

DevExtras organizes its work into a few areas, and CodeReflect belongs to the .NET development tools category, which the site frames as covering "code protection & decompilation." So decompilation is one half of a paired concern: the same category also covers protecting code. In practice that means CodeReflect is the inspection side — useful when you need to understand what a .NET assembly actually does.

The other DevExtras areas are separate products, not part of CodeReflect:

  • Mobile software — apps for Android and iOS.
  • Voice tools — including a real-time pitch and volume analyzer used by speech therapy patients and voice therapists, plus "Rate My Voice," a social experiment for submitting and rating voice samples.
  • Visitor Count — a tool for tracking how many people are in a venue so you don't exceed capacity.
  • Consultancy — a consultancy/outsourcing service, with development done in the UK and pricing based on the number of man days a project requires.

When CodeReflect is the right choice

Reach for CodeReflect when you need to recover readable C# or VB.NET from a .NET assembly and you want a free, standalone tool that does not depend on an IDE. It is a fit for developers who want to inspect or learn from compiled .NET code in the language of their choice.

It is not the tool for the other DevExtras functions — mobile apps, voice analysis, venue counting, or consultancy — those are distinct offerings. And because the site does not publish platform requirements, supported .NET versions, or download/install specifics, check those details on DevExtras directly before you commit to it for a particular project.