Landon Curt Noll
ecabb73bf6
Added `bin/bin/tar-entry.sh` to build a compressed tarball for an entry. The compressed tarball is formed by gnu tar with options so that the same entry file content will always produce the same compressed tarball, byte for byte. As some files are missing from some entries, one should use the `-W` option as in: ```sh bin/tar-entry.sh -v 5 -W 2020/ferguson1 ``` Added `make form_entry_tarball` to the top level `Makefile` to build entry tarballs even when files are still missing. Added `make verify_entry_files` to verify that all entries have all of their files listed in their manifest, plus the top level ioccc.css and var.mk files. As file entry files are still missing (due to HTML files that need to be built), the overall `make quick_www` and `make www` do **NOT** (yet) exit when the `make verify_entry_files` fails. Improved `bin/chk-entry.sh` by removing some variables that were not needed. TODO: Improve `bin/` tool exit codes as the current use is a bit silly. TODO: Clean out some variables used in `bin/` tools as some of then are only set printed in debug statements. TODO: Clean up usage messages, some of the options listed to not match the `getopts(1)` parsing. In some cases the option needs to be parsed but needs to be ignored by the tool because another tool automatically passes along certain options that really have no effect. Such ignored options need to be show as "This option is ignored" in the usage message.
Twenty Fourth International Obfuscated C Code Contest
Standard IOCCC stuff
The IOCCC has a web site and now has a number of international mirrors. The primary site can be found at,
Use make to compile entries. It is possible that on non-Un*x / non-Linux systems the makefile needs to be changed. See the Makefile for details.
Look at the source and try to figure out what the programs do, and run them with various inputs. If you want to, look at the hints files for spoilers - this year we included most of the information included by the submitter.
Read over the makefile for compile/build issues. Your system may require certain changes (add or remove a library, add or remove a #define).
Some ANSI C compilers are not quite as good as they should be. If yours is lacking, you may need to compile using gcc instead of your local compiler.
Remarks on some of the winners
We believe you will again be impressed with this year's winners.
The fraction of worthy entries was higher than usual.
We call to your attention, the hou entry, that performs the MD5 cryptographic hash. Normally implemented with a set of integer and boolean operations, this code uses floating point variables inside a single while loop filled with unusual constants, cosine, square root, and exponent function calls. The number of lines of code is also smaller than the original algorithm.
The mills2 source code is a very compressed version of a decompression algorithm. We think those who enjoy compression algorithms will particularly enjoy this entry.
We suggest that you attempt to completely understand the endoh4 1-liner program: another impressive compact piece of C code.
And while you are at it, cat the endoh2 prog.c code. Compile it and look at the source code again.
In a "Back to the Future" moment, endoh3 gave us a twist on one of the all time best IOCCC winners from 1984.
We also suggest that you take a very good look at how the muth code makes full use of the C Pre-Processor.
...We'll stop spouting spoilers now. Have fun exploring all the entries!
Remarks on some of submissions that did not win
The number of entries that would have made it into the final rounds would have been much higher had some people paid attention to rules 2 and 22 (one third of 666).
Rule 22, now known as Catch 22 states:
| 22) Your source code, data files, remarks and program output must NOT
| identify the authors of your code. The judges STRONGLY prefer to
| not know who is submitting entries to the IOCCC.
| The "Peter Honeyman is exempt" guideline also applies to this rule.
| Identifying yourself, in an obvious way in 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.
A number of other entries were based on iocccsize.c, making derivative works rather than original works.
Still other entries were too large, violating the first line of rule 2:
- The size of your program source must be <= 4096 bytes in length.
While these entries might have passed under the 2053 limit for iocccsize, they were larger than <= 4096 bytes, sometimes by an order or magnitude.
We hope the authors of some of those entries will fix and re-submit them for the next IOCCC.
Final Comments
Please feel free to send us comments and suggestions about the competition, this README or anything else that you would like to see in future contests.
If you use, distribute or publish these entries in some way, please drop us a line. We enjoy seeing who, where and how the contest is used.
If you have problems with any of the entries, AND YOU HAVE A FIX, please send us the fix (patch file or the entire changed file).
For the latest information on how to contact the IOCCC Judges please visit
For news of the next contest watch:
Copyright and License
Copyright (C) 2015,2024, Landon Curt Noll and Leonid A. Broukhis. All Rights Reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. If you do use this work in some form, the IOCCC judges would appreciate (but does not require) if you were to send us a note about your use.