No Code: Null Programs
To continue the productive discussion of uninscribed artworks in Craig Dworkin’s No Medium, this report discusses, in detail, those computer programs that have no code, and are thus empty or null. Several specific examples that have been offered in different contexts (the demoscene, obfuscated codin...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Technical Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87669 |
| _version_ | 1811072990805229568 |
|---|---|
| author | Montfort, Nick |
| author_facet | Montfort, Nick |
| author_sort | Montfort, Nick |
| collection | MIT |
| description | To continue the productive discussion of uninscribed artworks in Craig Dworkin’s No Medium, this report discusses, in detail, those computer programs that have no code, and are thus empty or null. Several specific examples that have been offered in different contexts (the demoscene, obfuscated coding, a programming challenge, etc.) are analyzed. The concept of a null program is discussed with reference to null strings and files. This limit case of computing shows that both technical and cultural means of analysis are important to a complete understanding of programs – even in the unusual case that they lack code. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:26:40Z |
| format | Technical Report |
| id | mit-1721.1/87669 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:26:40Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/876692019-04-10T13:42:15Z No Code: Null Programs Montfort, Nick To continue the productive discussion of uninscribed artworks in Craig Dworkin’s No Medium, this report discusses, in detail, those computer programs that have no code, and are thus empty or null. Several specific examples that have been offered in different contexts (the demoscene, obfuscated coding, a programming challenge, etc.) are analyzed. The concept of a null program is discussed with reference to null strings and files. This limit case of computing shows that both technical and cultural means of analysis are important to a complete understanding of programs – even in the unusual case that they lack code. 2014-06-06T02:13:24Z 2014-06-06T02:13:24Z 2014-06-05 Technical Report http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87669 en TROPE;13-03 Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Montfort, Nick No Code: Null Programs |
| title | No Code: Null Programs |
| title_full | No Code: Null Programs |
| title_fullStr | No Code: Null Programs |
| title_full_unstemmed | No Code: Null Programs |
| title_short | No Code: Null Programs |
| title_sort | no code null programs |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87669 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT montfortnick nocodenullprograms |