These guidelines are a very tentative proposal for the next IOCCC -that is VERY LIKELY to be updated before the next IOCCC. -They are are provided as a very tentative hint at what -might be used in a future IOCCC.
-Please regard these guidelines as a historic archive.
+These guidelines are a VERY TENTATIVE proposal for the next IOCCC +and are VERY LIKELY to be updated before the next IOCCC. +They are are provided as a VERY TENTATIVE hint at what +MIGHT be used in the next IOCCC.
+Please regard these guidelines as a historical archive.
The IOCCC is NOT accepting new submissions at this time. See the -IOCCC winning entries page for the entries that have won the IOCCC.
+IOCCC winning entries page for the entries that have won the +IOCCC in the past.Watch both the IOCCC status page and the -@IOCCC mastodon feed for information about future IOCCC openings.
+@IOCCC mastodon feed for information about +future IOCCC openings.Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis, Landon Curt Noll.
+Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis and Landon Curt Noll.
All Rights Reserved. Permission for personal, education or non-profit use is granted provided this this copyright and notice are included in its entirety and remains unaltered. All other uses must receive prior permission in @@ -415,10 +416,10 @@ submit entries to the International Obfuscated C (IOCCC).
These are not the IOCCC rules, though it does contain comments about them. The guidelines should be viewed as hints and suggestions. -Entries that violate the guidelines but remain within the rules are -allowed. Even so, you are safer if you remain within the guidelines.
+Entries that violate the guidelines but remain within the rules are +allowed. Even so, you are safer if you remain within the guidelines.You should read the current IOCCC rules, prior to submitting entries. -The rules are typically sent out with these guidelines.
+The rules are typically published along with these guidelines.| This IOCCC runs from 2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC to YYYY-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC.
** XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX **.
Until the start of this IOCCC, these rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c (contained in the mkiocccentry toolkit) -tool should be considered provisional BETA versions and may be -adjusted AT ANY TIME.
+tool should be considered provisional BETA versions and may be +adjusted AT ANY TIME.The IOCCC submission URL is https://submit.ioccc.org/.
| The submit URL should be active on or slightly before 2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC.
-** XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX **.
Please wait to submit your entries until after that time.
-The official rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c (invoked by the mkiocccentry) tool will be available -on the official IOCCC website on or slightly before start of this IOCCC. -Please check the IOCCC FAQ How to submit. -on or after the start of this IOCCC to be sure you are using the correct -versions of these items before using the IOCCC entry submission URL.
+The official rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c (invoked by the mkiocccentry) +tool will be available on the official IOCCC website on or slightly before start +of this IOCCC. Please check the IOCCC FAQ about how to submit +to see how to submit entries, on or after the start of this IOCCC, to be sure +you are using the correct versions of these items before using the IOCCC entry +submission URL.
You are encouraged to examine the winners of previous contests. See FOR MORE INFORMATION for details on how to get previous winners.
Keep in mind that rules change from year to year, so some winning entries -may not be valid entries this year. What was unique and novel one year -might be ‘old’ the next year.
+might not be valid entries this year. What was unique and novel one year +might be ‘old’ the next year.An entry is usually examined in a number of ways. We typically apply a number of tests to an entry:
#include lines#define and #include linesYour entry need not pass all of the above tests. In certain cases, a test is not important. Entries that compete for the -‘strangest/most creative source layout’ need not do as well as +‘strangest/most creative source layout’ need not do as well as others in terms of their algorithm. On the other hand, given two such entries, we are more inclined to pick the entry that does something interesting when you run it.
We try to avoid limiting creativity in our rules. As such, we leave -the contest open for creative rule interpretation. As in real life +the contest open for creative rule interpretation. As in real +life programming, interpreting a requirements document or a customer request -is important. For this reason, we often award ‘worst abuse of the -rules’ to an entry that illustrates this point in an ironic way.
+is important. For this reason, we often award ‘Best abuse of the +rules’ or ‘Worst abuse of the rules’ to an entry that illustrates this point +in an ironic way.We do realize that there are holes in the rules, and invite entries -to attempt to exploit them. We will award ‘worst abuse of the rules’ -and then plug the hole next year.
+to attempt to exploit them. We will award ‘Worst abuse of the rules’ or +‘Best abuse of the rules’ and then plug the hole next year.| Even so, we will attempt to use the smallest plug needed, if not smaller. Or, maybe not. :-)
| There may be less than 2^7+1 reasons why these guidelines seem obfuscated.
Check out your program and be sure that it works. We sometimes make the effort to debug an entry that has a slight problem, particularly in or near the final round. On the other hand, we have seen some of the best entries fall down because they didn’t work.
-We tend to look down on a prime number printer that claims that +
We tend to look down on a prime +number printer that claims that 16 is a prime number. If you do have a bug, you are better off -documenting it. Noting “this entry sometimes prints the 4th power -of a prime by mistake” would save the above entry. And sometimes, +documenting it. Noting “this entry sometimes prints the 4th power +of a prime by mistake” would save the above entry. And sometimes, a strange bug/feature can even help the entry! Of course, a correctly working entry is best. Clever people will note that 16 might be prime under certain conditions. Wise people, when submitting something clever will fully explain such cleverness in their entry’s remarks file.
People who are considering to just use some complex mathematical -function or state machine to spell out something such as “hello, -world!” really really, and we do mean really, do need to be more creative.
+function or state machine to spell out something such as “hello, +world!” really really, and we do mean really, do need to be more creative.Ultra-obfuscated programs are, in some cases, easier to deobfuscate than subtly-obfuscated programs. Consider using misleading or subtle tricks layered on top of or under an appropriate level of obfuscation. A clean looking program with misleading comments and variable names might be a good start.
-When programs use VTxxx/ANSI sequences, they should NOT limited to a +
When programs use VTxxx/ANSI sequences, they should NOT be limited to a specific terminal brand. Those programs that work in a standard xterm are considered more portable.
| Rule 2 (the size rule) refers to the use of the IOCCC size tool called iocccsize.
| See the mkiocccentry toolkit for how to compile and iocccsize.
| See the mkiocccentry toolkit for how to compile iocccsize.c.
| To further clarify rule 2, we subdivided it into two parts, 2a and 2b.
| Your entry must satisfy BOTH the maximum size rule 2a AND your entry
must satisfy the IOCCC size tool rule 2b.
In cases where the above summary and the algorithm implemented by the IOCCC size tool source code conflict, the algorithm implemented by the IOCCC size tool source code is preferred by the judges.
-| There are at least 2 other reasons for selecting 2503 as the 2nd limit
-| besides the fact that 2053 is a prime. These reasons
-| may be searched for and discovered if you are “Curios!” about 2503. :-)
-| Moreover, 2053 was the number of the kernel disk pack of one of the
-| judge’s BESM-6, and 2503 is a decimal anagram of 2053.
| There are at least 2 other reasons for selecting 2503 as the 2nd limit
| besides the fact that 2503 is a prime. These reasons
| may be searched for and discovered if you are “Curios!” about 2503. :-)
| Moreover, 2053 was the number of the kernel disk pack of one of the
| judge’s BESM-6, and 2503 is a decimal anagram of 2053.
Take note that this secondary limit imposed by the IOCCC size tool
-obviates some of the need to #define C reserved words in an effort
+obviates some of the need to #define C reserved words in an effort
to get around the size limits of rule 2.
Yes Virginia, that is a hint!
We applaud programs that do not issue warnings when compiled.
-To avoid warnings, you might be tempted to add various -Wno-foobar
+To avoid warnings, you might be tempted to add various -Wno-foobar
flags. Unfortunately such flags are NOT portable. Moreover,
such flags are not consistent between different C compilers.
Therefore we recommend that you consider one of several approaches:
Doing masses of #defines to obscure the source has become ‘old’. We -tend to ‘see thru’ masses of #defines due to our pre-processor tests -that we apply. Simply abusing #defines or -Dfoo=bar won’t go as far +
Doing masses of #defines to obscure the source has become ‘old’. We
+tend to ‘see thru’ masses of #defines due to our pre-processor tests
+that we apply. Simply abusing #defines or -Dfoo=bar won’t go as far
as a program that is more well rounded in confusion.
Many C compilers dislike the following code, and so do we:
#define d define
@@ -569,15 +575,15 @@ to compile compile your code using:
For compilers, such as clang, that have the -Weverything option, try
to make your code compile warning free using:
-Wall -Wextra -Weverything -pedantic
-.. though see Why do Makefiles use -Weverything with
-clang? in the FAQ.
+.. though, again, see the FAQ about clang -Weverything in
+the FAQ.
If you must turn off various warnings on the compile line such as:
... -Wno-empty-body -Wno-return-type ...
-be sure to clearly state so in your remarks AS WELL AS in
+
be sure to clearly state so in your remarks AS WELL AS in
your “how to build” / Makefile.
All other things being equal, a program that must turn off fewer
warnings will be considered better, for certain values of better.
-Unless you clearly state otherwise in your remarks AS WELL AS in
+
Unless you clearly state otherwise in your remarks AS WELL AS in
your “how to build” / Makefile we will compile using:
-O3 -std=c11
Anyone care to submit an entry that makes gratuitous use of all
@@ -596,10 +602,10 @@ flags that would make the program less portable.
One side effect of the above is that you cannot assume the use
of nested functions such as:
main() {
-| void please_dont_submit_this() {
-| printf("The machine that goes BING!!\n");
+ void please_dont_submit_this() {
+ printf("The machine that goes BING!!\n");
}
-| please_dont_submit_this();
+ please_dont_submit_this();
}
This is because such nested functions often requires one to compile with
a flag such as -fnested-functions that is not found on some compilers.
@@ -625,7 +631,7 @@ not portable and must not be used:
Avoid using varargs.h. Use stdarg.h instead.
On 28 January 2007, the Judges rescinded the requirement that the
# in a C preprocessor directive must be the 1st non-whitespace octet.
-The exit(3) function returns void. Some broken systems have exit(3)
+
The exit(3) function returns void. Some broken systems have exit(3)
return int, your entry should assume that exit(3) returns a void.
| This guideline has a change mark at the very start of this line.
Small programs are best when they are short, obscure and concise.
@@ -633,8 +639,10 @@ While such programs are not as complex as other winners, they do
serve a useful purpose. They are often the only program that people
attempt to completely understand. For this reason, we look for
programs that are compact, and are instructional.
-While those who are used to temperatures found on dwarf planet,
-(yes Virginia, dwarf planets are planets) such as Pluto might be able to
+
While those who are used to temperatures found on dwarf
+planet,
+(yes Virginia, dwarf planets are planets) such as
+Pluto might be able to
explain to the Walrus why our seas are boiling hot, the question of
whether pigs have wings is likely to remain a debatable point to most.
One line programs should be short one line programs: say around 80 to 120
@@ -666,21 +674,24 @@ mandate that one must use Microsoft Visual Studio to compile
your entry. Nevertheless some of the better IDEs have command-line
interfaces to their compilers, once one learns how to invoke a shell.
The program must compile and link cleanly in a POSIX-like environment.
-Therefore do not assume the system has a windows.h include file:
+Therefore do not assume the system has a
+windows.h include file:
#include <windows.h> /* we dislike this include */
Unless you are cramped for space, or unless you are entering the
-‘best one liner’ category, we suggest that you format your program
+‘Best one liner’ category, we suggest that you format your program
in a more creative way than simply forming excessively long lines.
-At least one judge prefers to maintain the use of the leap-second
+
At least one judge prefers to maintain the use of the
+leap-second
as part of the world’s time standard. If your code prints time
with seconds, we prefer that your code be capable of printing the
time of day during a leap-second where the value in seconds
after the minute mark is 60.
-The “how to build” make process should not be used to try and get
-around the size limit. It is one thing to make use of a several -D’s
+
The “how to build” make process should not be used to try and get
+around the size limit. It is one thing to make use of a several -Ds
on the compile line to help out, but it is quite another to use many
-bytes of -D’s in order to try and squeeze the source under the size limit.
-Your source code, post-pre-processing, should not exceed the size of Windows. :-)
+bytes of -Ds in order to try and squeeze the source under the size limit.
+Your source code, post-pre-processing, should not exceed the size of
+Windows. :-)
The judges, as a group, have a history giving wide degree of latitude
to reasonable entries. And recently they have had as much longitudinal
variation as it is possible to have on Earth. :-)
@@ -711,7 +722,7 @@ For example, one could use the build instructions:
and then include special notes in the program “remarks” for
alternate / human intervention based building.
We want to get away from source that is simply a compact blob of
-octets. Really try to be more creative than blob coding. HINT!
+octets. Really try to be more creative than blob coding. HINT!
Please do not use things like gzip(1) to get around the size limit.
Please try to be much more creative.
We really dislike entries that make blatant use of including
@@ -760,12 +771,12 @@ software that is not in wide spread use.
This is the only guideline that contains the word fizzbin.
| However, do you know how to play fizzbin?
You do?!? (Except on Tuesday)
-We don’t like entries that use proprietary toolkits such as the Mtif,
-Xvew, or OpenL*ok toolkits, since not everyone has them. Use of an
+
We don’t like entries that use proprietary toolkits such as the M*tif,
+Xv*ew, or OpenL*ok toolkits, since not everyone has them. Use an
open source toolkit that is widely and freely available instead.
NOTE: The previous guideline in this spot has been replaced by this guideline:
X client entries should not to depend on particular items on
-.Xdefaults. If you must do so, be sure to note the required lines
+.Xdefaults. If you must do so, be sure to note the required lines
in the program “remarks”. They should also not depend on any
particular window manager.
Try to avoid entries that play silent sound segments or play the
@@ -792,7 +803,7 @@ parliament should you have one.
do something at least quasi-interesting
are portable
are unique or novel in their obfuscation style
-MAKE USE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OBFUSCATION <== HINT!!
+MAKE USE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OBFUSCATION <== HINT!!
make us laugh and/or throw up :-) (humor really helps!)
make us want to eat good chocolate.
@@ -820,7 +831,8 @@ or Linux curses.
Rule 13 states any C source that fails to compile because of unescaped
octets with the high bit set (octet value >= 128) will be rejected.
Instead of unescaped octets, you should use or escapes:
- /* 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456 */
+
+ /* 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456 */
char *foo = "This string is 36 octets in length \263";
/* This octet requires 4 octets of source ^^^^ */
if (strlen(foo) == 36) printf("foo is 36 octets plus a final NUL\n");
@@ -833,13 +845,13 @@ otherwise overlook. <<– Hint!
author will try format their entry using a “normal” formatting style
such that at first glance (if you squint and don’t look at the details)
the code might pass for non-obfuscated C. Deceptive comments,
-and mis-leading formatting, in some cases, may be a plus. On the
+and misleading formatting, in some cases, may be a plus. On the
other hand, a misleading code style requires more source bytes.
If you do elect to use misleading formatting and comments, we
suggest you remark on this point in your remarks where you talk
about why you think your entry is obfuscated. On the other hand,
if you are pushing up against the size limits, you may be forced
-into creating a dense blob. Such are the trade offs that obfuscators face!
+into creating a dense blob. Such are the trade-offs that obfuscators face!
We prefer code that can run on either a 64-bit or 32-bit processor.
However, it is unwise to assume it will run on an i386 or x86 architecture.
We believe that Mark Twain’s remark:
@@ -848,7 +860,7 @@ However, it is unwise to assume it will run on an i386 or x86 architecture.
| The IOCCC size tool source
is not an original work,
unless you are Anthony C Howe, in which case it is original!
-Submitting source that uses the content iocccsize.c, unless you are
+Submitting source that uses the content of iocccsize.c, unless you are
Anthony C Howe, might run the risk of violating rule 7.
Rule 7 does not prohibit you from writing your own obfuscated IOCCC size tool.
However if you do, you might wish to make your tool do something more
@@ -897,46 +909,47 @@ and state:
is given enough time and memory. If the value is not a proper integer, the
program will insult a fish named Eric, even if such a fish does not exist.
ABUSING THE RULES:
-Legal abuse of the rules is somewhat encouraged. Legal rule abuse may
-involve, but is not limited to, doing things that are technically
-allowed by the rules and yet do not fit the spirit of what we intended
-to be submitted.
+Legal abuse of the rules is somewhat encouraged. Legal rule abuse
+may involve, but is not limited to, doing things that are technically allowed by
+the rules and yet do not fit the spirit of what we intended to be
+submitted.
Legal rule abuse is encouraged to help promote creativity. Rule abuse
entries, regardless of if they receive an award, result in changes to
-the next year’s rules and guidelines.
-Legal abuse of the rules is NOT an invitation to violate the rules.
-An entry that violates the rules in the opinion of the judges, WILL be
-disqualified. RULE ABUSE CARRIES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RISK! If you
+the next year’s rules and guidelines.
+Legal abuse of the rules is NOT an invitation to violate the
+rules. An entry that violates the rules in the
+opinion of the judges, WILL be
+disqualified. RULE ABUSE CARRIES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RISK! If you
have an entry that might otherwise be interesting, you might want to
-submit two versions; one that does not abuse the rules and one that
+submit two versions; one that does not abuse the rules and one that
does.
-If you intend to abuse the rules, indicate so in the program
-“remarks”. You must try to justify why you consider your rule abuse
-to be allowed under the rules. That is, you must plead your case as
-to why your entry is valid. Humor and/or creativity help plead a
-case.
+If you intend to abuse the rules, indicate so in the program
+“remarks”. You must try to justify why you consider your rule abuse to be
+allowed under the rules. That is, you must plead your case as to
+why your entry is valid. Humor and/or creativity help plead a case.
Abusing the web submission procedure tends to annoy us more
than amuse us. Spend your creative energy on content of your
entry rather than on the submission process itself.
-We are often asked why the contest rules and guidelines seem too
+
We are often asked why the contest rules and
+guidelines seem too
strange or contain mistakes, flaws or grammatical errors. One reason
is that we sometimes make genuine mistakes. But in many cases such
problems, flaws or areas of confusion are deliberate. Changes to
-rules and guidelines in response to rule abuses, are done in a minimal
+rules and guidelines in response to rule abuses, are done in a minimal
fashion. Often we will deliberately leave behind holes (or introduce
new ones) so that future rule abuse may continue. A cleaver author
should be able to read them and “drive a truck through the holes” in
-the rules and guidelines.
-At the risk of stating the obvious, this contest is a parody of the
-software development process. The rules and guidelines are only a
-small part of the overall contest. Even so, one may think the contest
-rules and guideline process as a parody of the sometimes tragic
-mismatch between what a customer (or marketing) wants and what
-engineering delivers. Real programmers must face obfuscated
-and sometimes conflicting specifications and requirements from marketing,
-sales, product management an even from customers themselves on a
-all too regular basis. This is one of the reasons why the rules and
-guidelines are written in obfuscated form.
+the rules and guidelines.
+At the risk of stating the obvious, this contest is a parody of the software
+development process. The rules and guidelines
+are only a small part of the overall contest. Even so, one may think the
+contest rules and guideline process as a parody
+of the sometimes tragic mismatch between what a customer (or marketing) wants
+and what engineering delivers. Real programmers must face obfuscated and
+sometimes conflicting specifications and requirements from marketing, sales,
+product management an even from customers themselves on a all too regular basis.
+This is one of the reasons why the rules and
+guidelines are written in obfuscated form.
JUDGING PROCESS:
Entries are judged by Leonid A. Broukhis and Landon Curt Noll.
Each entry submitted is given a random id number and subdirectory. The
@@ -949,30 +962,29 @@ the judging process is complete, and then only from entries that have
won an award. Because we do not read this information for entries that
do not win, we do not know who did not win.
The above process helps keep us biased for/against any one particular
-individual. Therefore you MUST refrain from putting any information
+individual. Therefore you MUST refrain from putting any information
that reveals your identity in your entry.
Now some people point out that coding style might reveal the information
about the others. However we consider this to be simply circumstantial
and outside the scope of the above paragraph.
Some people, in the past, have attempted to obfuscate their identity by
-including comments of famous Internet personalities such as Peter Honeyman
-(http://www.citi.umich.edu/u/honey/). The judges are on to this
-trick and therefore consider any obfuscated source or data file
-claiming to be from Honeyman to not be form Honeyman. This of course
-creates an interesting paradox known as the “obfuscated Peter Honeyman
-paradox”. Should Peter Honeyman actually submit an obfuscated entry,
-he alone is excluded from the above, as we will likely believe
-it just another attempt at confusion. This guideline is known
-as the “Peter Honeyman is exempt” guideline.
+including comments of famous Internet personalities such as Peter
+Honeyman. The judges are on to this trick
+and therefore consider any obfuscated source or data file claiming to be from
+Honeyman to not be form Honeyman. This of course creates an interesting paradox
+known as the “obfuscated Peter Honeyman paradox”. Should Peter Honeyman
+actually submit an obfuscated entry, he alone is excluded from the above, as we
+will likely believe it just another attempt at confusion. This guideline is
+known as the “Peter Honeyman is exempt” guideline.
BTW: None of the entries claiming to be from Peter Honeyman have ever
won an award. So it is theoretically possible that Peter Honeyman
did submit an entry in the past. In the past, Peter had denied
submitting anything to the IOCCC. Perhaps those entries were
submitted by one of his students?
Hopefully we are VERY CLEAR on this point! The rules now strongly state:
-PLEASE DO NOT put a name of an author, in an obvious way, into your
+PLEASE DO NOT put a name of an author, in an obvious way, into your
source code, remarks, data files, etc. The above “Peter Honeyman is
-exempt” not withstanding.
+exempt” notwithstanding.
We seemed to have digressed again … :-) Returning to the judging process:
We prefer to be kept in the dark as much as you are until the final
awards are given. We enjoy the surprise of finding out in the end,
@@ -983,7 +995,8 @@ attempts to send non-winners into oblivion. We remove all non-winning
files, and shred all related paper. By tradition, we do not even
reveal the number of entries that we received.
During the judging process, a process that spans multiple sessions
-over a few weeks, post general updates from our @IOCCC twitter account.
+over a few weeks, post general updates from our Mastodon
+account.
Once we have selected the winners, for each category we will tweet:
- category name
@@ -998,11 +1011,9 @@ entry. They are given the chance to correct mistakes and typos. We
often accept their suggestions/comments about our remarks as well.
This is done prior to posting the winners to the wide world.
An important update to how winners are announced
-The IOCCC no longer uses twitter. IOCCC entries will be announced
-by a git commit to the IOCCC entries
-repo.
-that, in turn, updates the official IOCCC
-website.
+The IOCCC no longer uses twitter. IOCCC entries will be announced by a git
+commit to the IOCCC entries repo that, in
+turn, updates the official IOCCC website.
In addition a note is posted to the IOCCC Mastodon account
(https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc).
Back to the Judging process
@@ -1081,10 +1092,11 @@ an entry simply far exceeds any of the other entries. More often, the
name related to the submitter(s) names. This is no longer done.
Winning source is called prog.c A compiled binary is called prog.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS:
-The judges will tweet initial announcement of who won, the name
+
The judges will toot initial announcement of who won, the name
of their award, and a very brief description of the winning entry
-from the @IOCCC twitter handle. Non-twitter users should visit:
-
https://twitter.com/ioccc
+from the @IOCCC Mastodon account. You should
+follow us on Mastodon and refresh the page (even if you do follow us) as unless
+you are mentioned you will not get a notification.
How the new IOCCC winners will be announced
| The Current status of the IOCCC will change from judging to closed .
| The contest_status in the status.json file will change from judging to closed as well.
@@ -1110,10 +1122,16 @@ and on T-Shirts. More than one winner has been turned in a tattoo!
Last, but not least, winners receive international fame and flames! :-)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
| For questions or comments about the contest, see Contacting the IOCCC.
-| Be sure to review the IOCCC Rules and Guidelines as rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
-| You should be sure you have the current rules and guidelines prior to submitting entries.
+| Be sure to review the IOCCC Rules and Guidelines as
+rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
+| You should be sure you have the current rules and
+guidelines prior to submitting entries.
| See the Official IOCCC website news for additional information.
-| For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow the IOCCC on Mastodon account. See our FAQ for more information.
+| For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow
+the IOCCC on Mastodon account. See our
+FAQ for more information. Please be aware that
+unless you are mentioned you most likely will NOT get a notification from
+the app so you should make sure to check the page.
| Check out the Official IOCCC winner web site in general.
Leonid A. Broukhis
chongo (Landon Curt Noll) /\cc/\
diff --git a/next/guidelines.md b/next/guidelines.md
index cd5c59626..f21e7c551 100644
--- a/next/guidelines.md
+++ b/next/guidelines.md
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-
-
# WARNING: These guidelines are OUT OF DATE
-These guidelines are a **very tentative proposal** for the next IOCCC
-that is **VERY LIKELY** to be updated before the next IOCCC.
-They are are provided as a **very tentative** hint at what
-might be used in a future IOCCC.
+These guidelines are a **VERY TENTATIVE proposal** for the next IOCCC
+and are **VERY LIKELY** to be updated before the next IOCCC.
+They are are provided as a **VERY TENTATIVE** hint at **what
+MIGHT** be used in the next IOCCC.
-Please regard these guidelines as a historic archive.
+Please regard these guidelines as a historical archive.
# The IOCCC is closed
The IOCCC is **NOT** accepting new submissions at this time. See the
-[IOCCC winning entries page](../years.html) for the entries that have won the IOCCC.
+[IOCCC winning entries page](../years.html) for the entries that have won the
+IOCCC in the past.
Watch both [the IOCCC status page](../status.html) and the
-[@IOCCC mastodon feed](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) for information about future IOCCC openings.
+[@IOCCC mastodon feed](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) for information about
+future IOCCC openings.
# 28th International Obfuscated C Code Contest Official Guidelines
-Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis, Landon Curt Noll.
+Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis and Landon Curt Noll.
All Rights Reserved. Permission for personal, education or non-profit use is
granted provided this this copyright and notice are included in its entirety
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ submit entries to the [International Obfuscated C Code Contest
These are not the IOCCC rules, though it does contain comments about
them. The guidelines should be viewed as _hints_ and _suggestions_.
-Entries that violate the guidelines but remain within the rules are
-allowed. Even so, you are safer if you remain within the guidelines.
+Entries that violate the guidelines but remain within the rules _are
+allowed_. Even so, you are safer if you remain within the guidelines.
You should read the current [IOCCC rules](rules.html), prior to submitting entries.
-The rules are typically sent out with these guidelines.
+The rules are typically published along with these guidelines.
# WHAT'S NEW THIS IOCCC
@@ -71,21 +71,22 @@ for be a **fun**ctional UTC time. :-)
Until the start of this IOCCC, these rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c
(contained in the [mkiocccentry
toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry))
-tool should be considered provisional **BETA** versions and may be
-adjusted **AT ANY TIME**.
+tool should be considered provisional **BETA** versions and **may be
+adjusted _AT ANY TIME_**.
The IOCCC submission URL is /* we dislike this include */
```
Unless you are cramped for space, or unless you are entering the
-'best one liner' category, we suggest that you format your program
+'_Best one liner_' category, we suggest that you format your program
in a more creative way than simply forming excessively long lines.
-At least one judge prefers to maintain the use of the leap-second
+At least one judge prefers to maintain the use of the
+[leap-second](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_second)
as part of the world's time standard. If your code prints time
with seconds, we prefer that your code be capable of printing the
time of day during a leap-second where the value in seconds
after the minute mark is 60.
-The "how to build" make process should not be used to try and get
-around the size limit. It is one thing to make use of a several -D's
+The "_how to build_" make process should not be used to try and get
+around the size limit. It is one thing to make use of a several `-D`s
on the compile line to help out, but it is quite another to use many
-bytes of -D's in order to try and squeeze the source under the size limit.
+bytes of `-D`s in order to try and squeeze the source under the size limit.
-Your source code, post-pre-processing, should not exceed the size of Windows. :-)
+Your source code, post-pre-processing, should not exceed the size of
+[Windows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows). :-)
The judges, as a group, have a history giving wide degree of latitude
to reasonable entries. And recently they have had as much longitudinal
@@ -471,7 +485,7 @@ and then include special notes in the program "remarks" for
alternate / human intervention based building.
We want to get away from source that is simply a compact blob of
-octets. Really try to be more creative than blob coding. *HINT!*
+octets. Really try to be more creative than blob coding. **HINT!**
Please do not use things like `gzip(1)` to get around the size limit.
Please try to be much more creative.
@@ -507,13 +521,13 @@ they do not work as documented.
Please note that the C source below, besides lacking in obfuscation,
is NOT the smallest C source file that when compiled and run, dumps core:
-```
+```
main;
```
We do not like writable strings. That is, we don't want stuff like:
-```
+```
char *T = "So many primes, so little time!";
...
T[14] = ';';
@@ -522,7 +536,7 @@ We do not like writable strings. That is, we don't want stuff like:
Please don't make use of this feature, even if your system allows it.
However, initialized char arrays are OK to write over. This is OK:
-```
+```
char b[] = "Is this OK";
b[9] = 'K';
```
@@ -545,14 +559,14 @@ This is the only guideline that contains the word fizzbin.
**`|`** However, do you know how to play [fizzbin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_in_Star_Trek#Fizzbin)?
You do?!? (Except on Tuesday)
-We don't like entries that use proprietary toolkits such as the M*tif,
-Xv*ew, or OpenL*ok toolkits, since not everyone has them. Use of an
+We don't like entries that use proprietary toolkits such as the `M*tif`,
+`Xv*ew`, or `OpenL*ok` toolkits, since not everyone has them. Use an
open source toolkit that is widely and freely available instead.
**NOTE**: The previous guideline in this spot has been replaced by this guideline:
X client entries should not to depend on particular items on
-.Xdefaults. If you must do so, be sure to note the required lines
+`.Xdefaults`. If you must do so, be sure to note the required lines
in the program "remarks". They should also not depend on any
particular window manager.
@@ -586,7 +600,7 @@ We like programs that:
* do something at least quasi-interesting
* are portable
* are unique or novel in their obfuscation style
-* MAKE USE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OBFUSCATION <== HINT!!
+* MAKE USE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OBFUSCATION **<== HINT!!**
* make us laugh and/or throw up :-) (humor really helps!)
* make us want to eat good chocolate.
@@ -621,7 +635,8 @@ Rule 13 states any C source that fails to compile because of unescaped
octets with the high bit set (octet value >= 128) will be rejected.
Instead of unescaped octets, you should use \octal or \hex escapes:
-```
+```
+
/* 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456 */
char *foo = "This string is 36 octets in length \263";
/* This octet requires 4 octets of source ^^^^ */
@@ -638,14 +653,14 @@ Anyone can format their code into a dense blob. A really clever
author will try format their entry using a "normal" formatting style
such that at first glance (if you squint and don't look at the details)
the code might pass for non-obfuscated C. Deceptive comments,
-and mis-leading formatting, in some cases, may be a plus. On the
+and misleading formatting, in some cases, may be a plus. On the
other hand, a misleading code style requires more source bytes.
If you do elect to use misleading formatting and comments, we
suggest you remark on this point in your remarks where you talk
about why you think your entry is obfuscated. On the other hand,
if you are pushing up against the size limits, you may be forced
-into creating a dense blob. Such are the trade offs that obfuscators face!
+into creating a dense blob. Such are the trade-offs that obfuscators face!
We prefer code that can run on either a 64-bit or 32-bit processor.
However, it is unwise to assume it will run on an i386 or x86 architecture.
@@ -661,7 +676,7 @@ is a good guideline for those writing code for the IOCCC.
**`|`** The [IOCCC size tool source](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry/blob/master/iocccsize.c)
is not an original work,
unless you are Anthony C Howe, in which case it is original!
-Submitting source that uses the content iocccsize.c, unless you are
+Submitting source that uses the content of iocccsize.c, unless you are
Anthony C Howe, might run the risk of violating rule 7.
Rule 7 does not prohibit you from writing your own obfuscated IOCCC size tool.
@@ -753,52 +768,53 @@ and state:
# ABUSING THE RULES:
-Legal abuse of the rules is somewhat encouraged. Legal rule abuse may
-involve, but is not limited to, doing things that are technically
-allowed by the rules and yet do not fit the spirit of what we intended
-to be submitted.
+Legal abuse of the [rules](rules.html) is somewhat encouraged. Legal rule abuse
+may involve, but is not limited to, doing things that are technically allowed by
+the [rules](rules.html) and yet do not fit the spirit of what we intended to be
+submitted.
Legal rule abuse is encouraged to help promote creativity. Rule abuse
entries, regardless of if they receive an award, result in changes to
-the next year's rules and guidelines.
+the next year's [rules](rules.html) and [guidelines](guidelines.html).
-Legal abuse of the rules is NOT an invitation to violate the rules.
-An entry that violates the rules in the opinion of the judges, WILL be
-disqualified. RULE ABUSE CARRIES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RISK! If you
+Legal abuse of the [rules](rules.html) is NOT an invitation to violate the
+[rules](rules.html). An entry that violates the [rules](rules.html) in the
+opinion of the judges, **WILL** be
+disqualified. **_RULE ABUSE CARRIES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RISK!_** If you
have an entry that might otherwise be interesting, you might want to
-submit two versions; one that does not abuse the rules and one that
+submit two versions; one that does not abuse the [rules](rules.html) and one that
does.
-If you intend to abuse the rules, indicate so in the program
-"remarks". You must try to justify why you consider your rule abuse
-to be allowed under the rules. That is, you must plead your case as
-to why your entry is valid. Humor and/or creativity help plead a
-case.
+If you intend to abuse the [rules](rules.html), indicate so in the program
+"remarks". You must try to justify why you consider your rule abuse to be
+allowed under the [rules](rules.html). That is, you must plead your case as to
+why your entry is valid. Humor and/or creativity help plead a case.
Abusing the web submission procedure tends to annoy us more
than amuse us. Spend your creative energy on content of your
entry rather than on the submission process itself.
-We are often asked why the contest rules and guidelines seem too
+We are often asked why the contest [rules](rules.html) and
+[guidelines](guidelines.html) seem too
strange or contain mistakes, flaws or grammatical errors. One reason
is that we sometimes make genuine mistakes. But in many cases such
problems, flaws or areas of confusion are deliberate. Changes to
-rules and guidelines in response to rule abuses, are done in a minimal
+[rules](rules.html) and [guidelines](guidelines.html) in response to rule abuses, are done in a minimal
fashion. Often we will deliberately leave behind holes (or introduce
new ones) so that future rule abuse may continue. A cleaver author
should be able to read them and "drive a truck through the holes" in
-the rules and guidelines.
+the [rules](rules.html) and [guidelines](guidelines.html).
-At the risk of stating the obvious, this contest is a parody of the
-software development process. The rules and guidelines are only a
-small part of the overall contest. Even so, one may think the contest
-rules and guideline process as a parody of the sometimes tragic
-mismatch between what a customer (or marketing) wants and what
-engineering delivers. Real programmers must face obfuscated
-and sometimes conflicting specifications and requirements from marketing,
-sales, product management an even from customers themselves on a
-all too regular basis. This is one of the reasons why the rules and
-guidelines are written in obfuscated form.
+At the risk of stating the obvious, this contest is a parody of the software
+development process. The [rules](rules.html) and [guidelines](guidelines.html)
+are only a small part of the overall contest. Even so, one may think the
+contest [rules](rules.html) and [guideline](guidelines.html) process as a parody
+of the sometimes tragic mismatch between what a customer (or marketing) wants
+and what engineering delivers. Real programmers must face obfuscated and
+sometimes conflicting specifications and requirements from marketing, sales,
+product management an even from customers themselves on a all too regular basis.
+This is one of the reasons why the [rules](rules.html) and
+[guidelines](guidelines.html) are written in obfuscated form.
# JUDGING PROCESS:
@@ -817,7 +833,7 @@ won an award. Because we do not read this information for entries that
do not win, we do not know who did not win.
The above process helps keep us biased for/against any one particular
-individual. Therefore you MUST refrain from putting any information
+individual. Therefore you **MUST** refrain from putting any information
that reveals your identity in your entry.
Now some people point out that coding style might reveal the information
@@ -825,15 +841,14 @@ about the others. However we consider this to be simply circumstantial
and outside the scope of the above paragraph.
Some people, in the past, have attempted to obfuscate their identity by
-including comments of famous Internet personalities such as Peter Honeyman
-().
@@ -980,13 +993,11 @@ Winning source is called prog.c A compiled binary is called prog.
# ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS:
-The judges will tweet initial announcement of who won, the name
+The judges will toot initial announcement of who won, the name
of their award, and a very brief description of the winning entry
-from the @IOCCC twitter handle. Non-twitter users should visit:
-
-```
- https://twitter.com/ioccc
-```
+from the [@IOCCC Mastodon account](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc). You should
+follow us on Mastodon and refresh the page (even if you do follow us) as unless
+you are mentioned you will not get a notification.
## How the new IOCCC winners will be announced
@@ -1043,13 +1054,19 @@ Last, but not least, winners receive international fame and flames! :-)
**`|`** For questions or comments about the contest, see [Contacting the IOCCC](../contact.html).
-**`|`** Be sure to review the [IOCCC Rules and Guidelines](index.html) as rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
+**`|`** Be sure to review the [IOCCC Rules and Guidelines](index.html) as
+[rules](rules.html) and the [guidelines](guidelines.html) may (and often do) change from year to year.
-**`|`** You should be sure you have the current rules and guidelines prior to submitting entries.
+**`|`** You should be sure you have the current [rules](rules.html) and
+[guidelines](guidelines.html) prior to submitting entries.
**`|`** See the [Official IOCCC website news](../news.html) for additional information.
-**`|`** For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow the [IOCCC on Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) account. See our [FAQ](../faq.html#try_mastodon) for more information.
+**`|`** For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow
+the [IOCCC on Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) account. See our
+[FAQ](../faq.html#try_mastodon) for more information. Please be aware that
+unless you are mentioned you most likely will **NOT** get a notification from
+the app so you should make sure to check the page.
**`|`** Check out the [Official IOCCC winner web site](https://www.ioccc.org/index.html) in general.
diff --git a/next/rules.html b/next/rules.html
index 9e7acc0d2..9feefec4d 100644
--- a/next/rules.html
+++ b/next/rules.html
@@ -384,20 +384,22 @@
WARNING: These rules are OUT OF DATE
-These rules are a very tentative proposal for the next IOCCC
-that is VERY LIKELY to be updated before the next IOCCC.
-They are are provided as a very tentative hint at what
-might be used in a future IOCCC.
-Please regard these rules as a historic archive.
+These rules are a VERY TENTATIVE proposal for the next IOCCC
+and are VERY LIKELY to be updated before the next IOCCC.
+They are are provided as a very tentative hint at what
+MIGHT be used in the next IOCCC.
+Please regard these rules as a historical archive.
The IOCCC is closed
-The IOCCC is NOT accepting new submissions at this time. See the
-IOCCC winning entries page for the entries that have won the IOCCC.
+The IOCCC is NOT accepting new submissions at this time. See the IOCCC
+winning entries page for the entries that have won the IOCCC in
+the past.
Watch both the IOCCC status page and the
-@IOCCC mastodon feed for information about future IOCCC openings.
+@IOCCC mastodon feed for information about
+future IOCCC openings.
28th International Obfuscated C Code Contest Official Rules
-| Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis, Landon Curt Noll.
+| Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis and Landon Curt Noll.
All Rights Reserved. Permission for personal, education or non-profit use is
granted provided this this copyright and notice are included in its entirety
and remains unaltered. All other uses must receive prior permission in
@@ -408,7 +410,7 @@ writing by contacting the judges.
Change marks
| ← Lines that start with this symbol indicate a change from the previous IOCCC
Most lines (we sometimes make mistakes) that were modified since the previous
-IOCCC start the | symbol.
+IOCCC start with the | symbol.
Obfuscate defined:
tr.v. -cated, -cating, -cates.
@@ -421,7 +423,7 @@ IOCCC start the | symbol.
Goals of the Contest
The goals of the IOCCC:
-- To write the most Obscure/Obfuscated C program within the rules.
+- To write the most Obscure/Obfuscated C program within the rules.
- To show the importance of programming style, in an ironic way.
- To stress C compilers with unusual code.
- To illustrate some of the subtleties of the C language.
@@ -429,23 +431,22 @@ IOCCC start the | symbol.
Important IOCCC dates
| This IOCCC runs from 2019-Dec-26 06:01:41 UTC to 2020-Mar-15 06:26:49 UTC.
-Until the start of this IOCCC, these rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c
-(contained in the mkiocccentry
+Until the start of this IOCCC, these rules,
+guidelines and iocccsize.c (contained in the mkiocccentry
toolkit and invoked by the
-mkiocccentry tool)
-should be considered provisional BETA versions and may be
-adjusted AT ANY TIME.
+mkiocccentry(1) tool) should be considered provisional BETA versions and
+may be adjusted AT ANY TIME.
When the IOCCC is open, the submission URL is:
https://submit.ioccc.org/, at all other
times that link is likely to be unresponsive.
-Please check the How to enter link link
+
Please check the How to enter FAQ
for important information on how to submit to the IOCCC.
| The submit URL should be active on or slightly before 2020-Jan-15 12:21:37 UTC.
Please wait to submit your entries until after that time.
-The official rules, guidelines will be available on the official IOCCC
-website on or slightly before start of this IOCCC. The
-mkiocccentry toolkit may be obtained at any time at the
-mkiocccentry toolkit repo.
+The official rules and guidelines will be
+available on the official IOCCC website on or slightly before
+the start of this IOCCC. The mkiocccentry toolkit may be obtained at any time
+at the mkiocccentry toolkit repo.
Please recheck on or after the start of this IOCCC to be sure you
are using the correct versions of these items before using the IOCCC
entry submission URL.
@@ -461,15 +462,15 @@ entry submission URL.
The size of your program source MUST BE <= 4096 bytesin length.
Rule 2b
| When your program source is fed as input to the current IOCCC size
-tool, and the IOCCC size tool -i command line option is used, the
+tool, and the IOCCC size tool -i command line option is used, the
value printed shall not exceed 2503.
| The source to the current IOCCC size tool is found in the
mkiocccentry tool repo. If you use
-the mkiocccentry tool (which we STRONGLY recommend you do) will invoke
+the mkiocccentry tool (which we STRONGLY recommend you do) it will invoke
this tool before packaging your entry for submission.
Rule 3
Submissions should be performed using the instructions outlined at:
-the How to enter link link.
+the How to enter FAQ.
To submit to an open IOCCC, you must use the IOCCC submit server.
When the IOCCC is not open, that link will likely be unresponsive.
| The submit URL should be active on or slightly before 2020-Jan-15 12:21:37 UTC.
@@ -487,8 +488,8 @@ files you submit.
If you entry wishes to modify such content, it MUST first copy the
file to a new filename and then modify that copy.
Rule 6
-| I am not a rule, I am a free(void \*human)!
-| while (!understand(ioccc(rule(that(you(are(number(6)))))))) { ha_ha_ha(); }
+| I am not a rule, I am a free(void *human)!
+ while (!understand(ioccc(rule(that(you(are(number(6)))))))) { ha_ha_ha(); }
Rule 7
The obfuscated C program must be an original work that you own.
You (the author(s)) must own the contents of your submission OR
@@ -497,16 +498,16 @@ under the following license:
| CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
See also Rule 18.
If you submit any content that is owned by others, you MUST
-detail that ownership (i.e., who owns what) and document the
-permission you obtained.
+detail that ownership (i.e., who owns what) AND document the
+permission you obtained.
Please note that the IOCCC size tool is NOT an original work.
Rule 8
| Entries must be received prior to the end of this IOCCC which is
-2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC. ** XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX **.
+2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC. XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX .
A confirmation of submission will be sent to the submitting email address
before the close of the contest.
Rule 9
-| Each person may submit up to and including 8.000000 entries per contest.
+| Each person may submit up to and including 10.000000 entries per contest.
Each entry must be submitted separately.
Rule 10
Entries requiring human interaction to be initially compiled are not permitted.
@@ -514,8 +515,8 @@ before the close of the contest.
Programs that require special privileges (setuid(2), setgid(2), super-user,
special owner, special group, etc.) are still highly discouraged. We
do not guarantee these functions will behave as you expect on our test
-platforms. If your program needs special permissions please document
-them in the remarks file.
+platforms. If your program needs special permissions please document
+them in the remarks file.
Rule 12
Legal abuse of the rules is somewhat encouraged. An entry that, in
the opinion of the judges, violates the rules will be disqualified.
@@ -547,7 +548,7 @@ competition.
See also How may I submit to the IOCCC? in the
FAQ.
Rule 16
-You are STRONGLY encouraged to submit a previously unpublished and
+
You are STRONGLY encouraged to submit a previously unpublished AND
original entry. Submissions that are similar to previous entries are
discouraged. As we judge anonymously, submissions that have already
been published may be disqualified.
@@ -557,12 +558,14 @@ hints, comments, build and info files MUST be less than or equa
to 28314624 octets (27651K) in size.
| When your submission is formed into a bzip2 compressed tarball file,
that file must than or equal 3999971 octets in size.
-| The mkiocccentry toolkit (see mkiocccentry(1) and txzchk(1)) will help you verify that your submission conforms to this rule.
+| The mkiocccentry toolkit
+(see mkiocccentry(1) and txzchk(1)) will help you verify that your
+submission conforms to this rule.
Rule 18
The entirety of your entry must be submitted under the following license:
| CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
You (the author(s)) MUST own the contents of your submission OR
-you MUST have permission from the owner(s) to submit their content.
+you MUST HAVE PERMISSION from the owner(s) to submit their content.
You must not submit anything that cannot be submitted under that license.
Rule 19
The remarks file must be written in markdown format. See
@@ -570,9 +573,9 @@ the Daring Fireball
| We currently use pandoc to convert markdown to HTML.
Rule 20
-The how to build instructions must be in Makefile format. See What kind of
-make(1) compatibility does the IOCCC support and will it support other
-kinds? for more details on what we support.
+The how to build instructions must be in Makefile format. See the FAQ about
+make(1) compatibility the IOCCC
+supports for more details.
The target of the Makefile must be called prog. The original
C source file must be called prog.c.
To invoke the C compiler, use ${CC}.
@@ -593,7 +596,7 @@ detect if required rules exist in your Makefile.
Your entry must not create or modify files above the current directory
with the exception of the /tmp and the /var/tmp directories. Your entry
MAY create subdirectories below the current directory, or in /tmp,
-or in /var/tmp provided that “.” is NOT the first octet in any
+or in /var/tmp provided that . is NOT the first octet in any
directory name or filename you submit.
Rule 22
Catch 22:
@@ -605,7 +608,7 @@ NOT know who is submitting entries to the IOCCC.
within your code, data, remarks or program output (unless you are
Peter Honeyman or pretending to be Peter Honeyman) will be grounds
for disqualification of your entry.
-Yes, Virginia, we REALLY mean it!
+Yes, Virginia, WE REALLY MEAN IT!
Rule 23
This prime rule number is reserved for future use.
Rule 24
@@ -618,10 +621,16 @@ for disqualification of your entry.
| Rule 27 is reserved for something cubic. :-)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
| For questions or comments about the contest, see Contacting the IOCCC.
-| Be sure to review the IOCCC Rules and Guidelines as rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
-| You should be sure you have the current rules and guidelines prior to submitting entries.
+| Be sure to review the IOCCC Rules and Guidelines as
+rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
+| You should be sure you have the current rules and
+guidelines prior to submitting entries.
| See the Official IOCCC website news for additional information.
-| For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow the IOCCC on Mastodon account. See our FAQ for more information.
+| For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow
+the IOCCC on Mastodon account. See our
+FAQ for more information. Please do note that unless
+you are mentioned by us you will NOT get a notification from the app so you
+should refresh the page even if you do follow us.
| Check out the Official IOCCC winner web site in general.
Leonid A. Broukhis
chongo (Landon Curt Noll) /\cc/\
diff --git a/next/rules.md b/next/rules.md
index acf4b4aa1..0776e2157 100644
--- a/next/rules.md
+++ b/next/rules.md
@@ -2,27 +2,29 @@
# WARNING: These rules are OUT OF DATE
-These rules are a **very tentative proposal** for the next IOCCC
-that is **VERY LIKELY** to be updated before the next IOCCC.
-They are are provided as a **very tentative** hint at what
-might be used in a future IOCCC.
+These rules are a **VERY TENTATIVE proposal** for the next IOCCC
+and are **VERY LIKELY** to be updated before the next IOCCC.
+They are are provided as a **very tentative** hint at **what
+MIGHT** be used in the next IOCCC.
-Please regard these rules as a historic archive.
+Please regard these rules as a historical archive.
# The IOCCC is closed
-The IOCCC is **NOT** accepting new submissions at this time. See the
-[IOCCC winning entries page](../years.html) for the entries that have won the IOCCC.
+The IOCCC is **NOT** accepting new submissions at this time. See the [IOCCC
+winning entries page](../years.html) for the entries that have won the IOCCC in
+the past.
Watch both [the IOCCC status page](../status.html) and the
-[@IOCCC mastodon feed](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) for information about future IOCCC openings.
+[@IOCCC mastodon feed](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) for information about
+future IOCCC openings.
# 28th International Obfuscated C Code Contest Official Rules
-**`|`** Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis, Landon Curt Noll.
+**`|`** Copyright © 2024 Leonid A. Broukhis and Landon Curt Noll.
All Rights Reserved. Permission for personal, education or non-profit use is
granted provided this this copyright and notice are included in its entirety
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ writing by [contacting the judges](../contact.html).
**`|`** **← Lines that start with this symbol indicate a change from the previous IOCCC**
Most lines (we sometimes make mistakes) that were modified since the previous
-IOCCC start the **`|`** symbol.
+IOCCC start with the **`|`** symbol.
# Obfuscate defined:
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ tr.v. -cated, -cating, -cates.
The goals of the IOCCC:
-* To write the most Obscure/Obfuscated C program within the rules.
+* To write the most Obscure/Obfuscated C program within the [rules](rules.html).
* To show the importance of programming style, in an ironic way.
* To stress C compilers with unusual code.
* To illustrate some of the subtleties of the C language.
@@ -72,27 +74,26 @@ The goals of the IOCCC:
**`|`** This IOCCC runs from **2019-Dec-26 06:01:41 UTC** to **2020-Mar-15 06:26:49 UTC**.
-Until the start of this IOCCC, these rules, guidelines and iocccsize.c
-(contained in the [mkiocccentry
+Until the start of this IOCCC, these [rules](rules.html),
+[guidelines](guidelines.html) and iocccsize.c (contained in the [mkiocccentry
toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry) and invoked by the
-`mkiocccentry` tool)
-should be considered provisional **BETA** versions and may be
-adjusted **AT ANY TIME**.
+`mkiocccentry(1)` tool) should be considered provisional **BETA** versions and
+**may be adjusted _AT ANY TIME_**.
When the IOCCC is open, the submission URL is:
[https://submit.ioccc.org/](https://submit.ioccc.org/), at all other
times that link is likely to be unresponsive.
-Please check the [How to enter link](../faq.html#submit) link
+Please check the [How to enter FAQ](../faq.html#submit)
for **important information** on how to submit to the IOCCC.
**`|`** The submit URL should be active on or slightly before **2020-Jan-15 12:21:37 UTC**.
Please wait to submit your entries until after that time.
-The official rules, guidelines will be available on the [official IOCCC
-website](../index.html) on or slightly before start of this IOCCC. The
-`mkiocccentry` toolkit may be obtained at any time at the
-[mkiocccentry toolkit repo](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry).
+The official [rules](rules.html) and [guidelines](guidelines.html) will be
+available on the [official IOCCC website](../index.html) on or slightly before
+the start of this IOCCC. The `mkiocccentry` toolkit may be obtained at any time
+at the [mkiocccentry toolkit repo](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry).
Please recheck on or after the start of this IOCCC to be sure you
are using the correct versions of these items before using the IOCCC
@@ -126,19 +127,19 @@ The size of your program source **MUST BE <= 4096 bytes**in length.
## Rule 2b
**`|`** When your program source is fed as input to the current IOCCC size
-tool, and the IOCCC size tool -i command line option is used, the
+tool, and the IOCCC size tool `-i` command line option is used, the
value printed **shall not exceed 2503**.
**`|`** The source to the current IOCCC size tool is found in the
[mkiocccentry tool repo](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry). If you use
-the `mkiocccentry` tool (which we **STRONGLY recommend you do**) will invoke
+the `mkiocccentry` tool (which we **STRONGLY recommend you do**) it will invoke
this tool before packaging your entry for submission.
## Rule 3
Submissions should be performed using the instructions outlined at:
-the [How to enter link](../faq.html#submit) link.
+the [How to enter FAQ](../faq.html#submit).
To submit to an open IOCCC, you must use the [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org/).
@@ -171,10 +172,10 @@ file to a new filename and then modify that copy.
## Rule 6
-**`|`** I am not a rule, I am a `free(void \*human)`!
+**`|`** I am not a rule, I am a `free(void *human)`!
```
-| while (!understand(ioccc(rule(that(you(are(number(6)))))))) { ha_ha_ha(); }
+ while (!understand(ioccc(rule(that(you(are(number(6)))))))) { ha_ha_ha(); }
```
@@ -191,8 +192,8 @@ under the following license:
See also Rule 18.
If you submit any content that is owned by others, you **MUST**
-detail that ownership (i.e., who owns what) and document the
-permission you obtained.
+detail that ownership (i.e., who owns what) **AND document the
+permission you obtained**.
Please note that the IOCCC size tool is **NOT** an original work.
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ Please note that the IOCCC size tool is **NOT** an original work.
## Rule 8
**`|`** Entries must be received prior to the end of this IOCCC which is
-**2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC**. ** XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX **.
+**2024-MMM-DD HH:MM:SS UTC**. **XXX - This date and time is TDB - XXX **.
A confirmation of submission will be sent to the submitting email address
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ before the close of the contest.
## Rule 9
-**`|`** Each person may submit up to and including 8.000000 entries per contest.
+**`|`** Each person may submit up to and including 10.000000 entries per contest.
Each entry must be submitted separately.
@@ -224,8 +225,8 @@ Entries requiring human interaction to be initially compiled are not permitted.
Programs that require special privileges (`setuid(2)`, `setgid(2)`, super-user,
special owner, special group, etc.) are still highly discouraged. We
do not guarantee these functions will behave as you expect on our test
-platforms. If your program needs special permissions **please** document
-them in the remarks file.
+platforms. If your program needs special permissions **please document
+them** in the remarks file.
## Rule 12
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ See also [How may I submit to the IOCCC?](../faq.html#submit) in the
## Rule 16
-You are **STRONGLY** encouraged to submit a previously unpublished and
+You are **STRONGLY** encouraged to submit a previously unpublished _AND_
original entry. Submissions that are similar to previous entries are
discouraged. As we judge anonymously, submissions that have already
been published may be disqualified.
@@ -292,8 +293,9 @@ to 28314624 octets (27651K) in size.
**`|`** When your submission is formed into a bzip2 compressed tarball file,
that file must than or equal 3999971 octets in size.
-**`|`** The [mkiocccentry toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry) (see `mkiocccentry(1)` and `txzchk(1)`) will help you verify that your submission conforms to this rule.
-
+**`|`** The [mkiocccentry toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry)
+(see `mkiocccentry(1)` and `txzchk(1)`) will help you verify that your
+submission conforms to this rule.
## Rule 18
@@ -302,7 +304,7 @@ The entirety of your entry must be submitted under the following license:
**`|`** **[CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)**
You (the author(s)) **MUST** own the contents of your submission **OR**
-you **MUST** have permission from the owner(s) to submit their content.
+you **MUST HAVE PERMISSION** from the owner(s) to submit their content.
You must not submit anything that cannot be submitted under that license.
@@ -318,9 +320,9 @@ for more information.
## Rule 20
-The how to build instructions must be in Makefile format. See [What kind of
-make(1) compatibility does the IOCCC support and will it support other
-kinds?](../faq.html#make_compatibility) for more details on what we support.
+The how to build instructions must be in Makefile format. See [the FAQ about
+make(1) compatibility the IOCCC
+supports](../faq.html#make_compatibility) for more details.
The target of the Makefile must be called `prog`. The original
C source file must be called `prog.c`.
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ detect if required rules exist in your Makefile.
Your entry must not create or modify files above the current directory
with the exception of the `/tmp` and the `/var/tmp` directories. Your entry
**MAY** create subdirectories below the current directory, or in `/tmp`,
-or in `/var/tmp` provided that "**.**" is **NOT** the first octet in any
+or in `/var/tmp` provided that `.` is **NOT** the first octet in any
directory name or filename you submit.
@@ -370,7 +372,7 @@ within your code, data, remarks or program output (unless you are
_Peter Honeyman_ or pretending to be _Peter Honeyman_) will be grounds
for disqualification of your entry.
-Yes, Virginia, **we REALLY mean it**!
+Yes, Virginia, **WE REALLY MEAN IT!**
## Rule 23
@@ -402,13 +404,19 @@ Rule 26 is also a rule.
**`|`** For questions or comments about the contest, see [Contacting the IOCCC](../contact.html).
-**`|`** Be sure to review the [IOCCC Rules and Guidelines](index.html) as rules and the guidelines may (and often do) change from year to year.
+**`|`** Be sure to review the [IOCCC Rules and Guidelines](index.html) as
+[rules](rules.html) and the [guidelines](guidelines.html) may (and often do) change from year to year.
-**`|`** You should be sure you have the current rules and guidelines prior to submitting entries.
+**`|`** You should be sure you have the current [rules](rules.html) and
+[guidelines](guidelines.html) prior to submitting entries.
**`|`** See the [Official IOCCC website news](../news.html) for additional information.
-**`|`** For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow the [IOCCC on Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) account. See our [FAQ](../faq.html#try_mastodon) for more information.
+**`|`** For the updates and breaking IOCCC news, you are encouraged to follow
+the [IOCCC on Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@ioccc) account. See our
+[FAQ](../faq.html#try_mastodon) for more information. Please do note that unless
+you are mentioned by us you will **NOT** get a notification from the app so you
+should refresh the page even if you do follow us.
**`|`** Check out the [Official IOCCC winner web site](https://www.ioccc.org/index.html) in general.