I C What You Did There
January 26, 2019 11:37 AM Subscribe
Now in its 35th year, the International Obfuscated C Code Contest celebrates decades of gloriously weird C programs. C gives quite a bit of room for personal style, so why not have a Stereogram generator whose code is itself a Stereogram (code, hint)? Or a game shaped like Flappy Bird (code, hint), or a text adventure game written entirely within the compiler's error messages (code, hint)?
Previously: [1], [2]
Recurring categories include "Best Abuse of the Rules" (such as a drawing program that exploited a bug in the entry size limit checker (code, hint)) and "Best One Liner" (such as this one-line hexdumper (code, hint)).
Because the C language standard has evolved over time (perhaps nudged by entries creatively subverting it), and some entries have made assumptions about the OS or hardware (code, hint), entries from earlier years may no longer work. Fortunately, last year's Best in Show provides a PDP-7 emulator (shaped like a punch card!), able to run Unix (circa 1984) for earlier entries. (code, hint)
It's also inspired obfuscated code contests for several other languages, (such as Perl, Ruby, and JavaScript), as well as the Underhanded C Contest, in which innocent-looking C code hides malicious behavior.
Recurring categories include "Best Abuse of the Rules" (such as a drawing program that exploited a bug in the entry size limit checker (code, hint)) and "Best One Liner" (such as this one-line hexdumper (code, hint)).
Because the C language standard has evolved over time (perhaps nudged by entries creatively subverting it), and some entries have made assumptions about the OS or hardware (code, hint), entries from earlier years may no longer work. Fortunately, last year's Best in Show provides a PDP-7 emulator (shaped like a punch card!), able to run Unix (circa 1984) for earlier entries. (code, hint)
It's also inspired obfuscated code contests for several other languages, (such as Perl, Ruby, and JavaScript), as well as the Underhanded C Contest, in which innocent-looking C code hides malicious behavior.
*flips light switch on and off rapidly* WELCOME TO HELL WELCOME TO HELL
posted by scruffy-looking nerfherder at 1:14 PM on January 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by scruffy-looking nerfherder at 1:14 PM on January 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
It's also inspired obfuscated code contests for several other languages, such as Perl…
That seems a bit redundant, no?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:33 PM on January 26, 2019 [7 favorites]
That seems a bit redundant, no?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:33 PM on January 26, 2019 [7 favorites]
Obfuscated Python might be a futile attempt to discover if that sterile language has a soul.
I was convinced that a 2011 winner was MeFi's Own™, but they probably want to stay hidden.
posted by scruss at 9:41 AM on January 27, 2019
I was convinced that a 2011 winner was MeFi's Own™, but they probably want to stay hidden.
posted by scruss at 9:41 AM on January 27, 2019
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As a vision scientist, I heartily approve.
posted by tickingclock at 12:35 PM on January 26, 2019