If you want to save the decompiled results to an external file for reading in a text editor or for further documentation:

IDA attempts to identify and label functions, variables, and structures, giving them meaningful names instead of memory addresses, such as sub_401000 or dword_403004 .

The IDA Pro decompiler is continuously being improved and updated by Hex-Rays, the company behind IDA Pro. Future developments are expected to include:

Use Edit > Functions > Set function type to anchor your names, or right-click the variable and choose "Lock variable mapping" (available in newer IDAs).

Modern malware and protectors often employ anti-decompilation tricks to complicate analysis. Understanding the microcode pipeline allows you to deobfuscate code at the intermediate level. A well‑known technique involves manipulating the stack pointer to prevent the decompiler from recognizing a function's end, using instructions that are never executed at runtime but still disrupt static analysis.

The Hex-Rays decompiler operates as a commercial plug-in that delivers one of the industry's most capable decompilation engines. Before the decompiler can even generate output, however, the disassembler must correctly identify function boundaries, data types, and cross-references. According to Hex-Rays documentation, you should stabilize these elements before using the decompiler to generate readable C-style results.

If the decompiler misidentifies arguments, right-click the function call → Set function type and provide a prototype like: