ASN.1 Codec vs Compiler

An ASN.1 compiler takes ASN.1 syntax as input and generates source code in a programming language (such as C or Java) that can be used to manipulate data structures defined using ASN.1. The generated code can be used to encode and decode data in a format that conforms to the ASN.1 specification. An ASN.1 compiler could obviously be useful as a development tool.

Softnet ASN.1 Codec provides functions for encoding and decoding data in ASN.1 DER format. It does not generate code; rather, it provides pre-written functions that can be used to manipulate data structures defined using ASN.1 syntax.

This codec is divided into two modules: Encoder and Decoder. Both modules defined in the ‘softnet.asn’ package. So, to use them in your application, include the codec ‘jar’ file in your project and import the ‘softnet.asn’ package.