From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 11390f,4c42ac518eba0bbe X-Google-Attributes: gid11390f,public X-Google-Thread: 109fba,4c42ac518eba0bbe X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,4c42ac518eba0bbe X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,4c42ac518eba0bbe X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public From: Alan E & Carmel J Brain Subject: Re: Programming language vote - results Date: 1997/10/17 Message-ID: <34481248.4F0A@dynamite.com.au>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 281737755 References: <343fbb5a.0@news.iprolink.ch> <343FD05C.8986A557@flash.net> <34428914.2D71D0F@ibm.net> <01bcd87f$7fefcf00$25a43a91@basil.omroep.nl> <34458CE3.507C@dynamite.com.au> <3444BFC6.794BDF32@druid.net> <34466EB4.3381@dynamite.com.au> <3gIvKGAfUmR0EwEl@yddraiggoch.demon.co.uk> Organization: @home Reply-To: aebrain@dynamite.com.au Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.apl,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++ Date: 1997-10-17T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: John Sullivan wrote: > In 2 lines. Due to hardware > >limitations, this 2-liner was impossible to make "hidden" so I made it > >Cryptic, and self-modifying. 2 months later, even I couldn't figure out > >exactly what it did. > > > You can do exactly the same thing in most other languages. Disagree. Truly impenetrable FORTRAN can't be written in only 2 lines. I repeat 2 lines. Not 2 pages. 2 lines. For a real rat's nest of FORTRAN, you need more than 2 pages. > So, why didn't you document your code when you wrote it? Don't blame APL > for your own inadequacies. *SIGH* Obviously I didn't make myself clear. 1. I had to write a security system. 2. I couldn't stop any hacker from being able to read the source code. (It was interpreted). 3. So I deliberately tried to made it obscure, so no casual hacker could break in in a few minutes. 4. I succeeded in my attempt. If the above isn't clear to you, I'll explain in more detail via e-mail. Yes, the code was documented, giving the exact algorithms used, and said documentation (about 12 pages) was kept in a safe. The point was that even I, the author of the code, could not look at a mere 2 lines and figure out what the thing did, just from looking at the source. Regarding inadequacies, I can't exactly blame APL for mine, there are too many! An inability to suffer fools gladly being one of them. -- aebrain@dynamite.com.au <> <> How doth the little Crocodile | Alan & Carmel Brain| xxxxx Improve his shining tail? | Canberra Australia | xxxxxHxHxxxxxx _MMMMMMMMM_MMMMMMMMM abrain@cs.adfa.oz.au o OO*O^^^^O*OO o oo oo oo oo By pulling MAERKLIN Wagons, in 1/220 Scale