The "best" decoder often depends on which version of MATLAB was used to create the p-code.

Users sometimes attempt to open or extract .p files using 7-Zip to see if the internal bytecode or temporary scripts are accessible.

MATLAB often keeps a history of commands and scripts in your preferences folder.

In modern MATLAB versions (R2004+), the encryption is significantly more robust. Simply "unzipping" the file will rarely yield usable .m source code. 2. Version-Specific Decoders