I found this snippet of code which sets out deliberately to confuse.

Can you find out what the code does ? Eventually I'll post where I found this from and give credit where it is due.

code:

---

  main(l
 ,a,n,d)char**a;{
 for(d=atoi(a[1])/10*80-
 atoi(a[2])/5-596;n="@NKA\
 CLCCGZAAQBEAADAFaISADJABBA^\
 SNLGAQABDAXIMBAACTBATAHDBAN\
 ZcEMMCCCCAAhEIJFAEAAABAfHJE\
 TBdFLDAANEfDNBPHdBcBBBEA_AL\
 H E L L O, W O R L D! "
 [l++-3]; )for(;n-->64; )
 putchar(!d+++33^
  l&1);}

---

The code is in C. The key is in

char a[ ] = "ABCD"; /* string representation */
char b[ ] = "\x41\x42\x43\x44"; /* hexadecimal representation */
char c[ ] = "\101\102\103\104"; /* octal representation */
char d[ ] = "A" "B" "C" "D"; /* using string properties */
char e[ ] = {'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', ' \0'}; /* using char propery */

In C all the above strings a, b, c, d and e represent ABCD.

Please post the output also.
I'll post the answer soon. I thought I'd just give someone the pleasure of finding the answer.

code:

---

main(l,a,n,d)char**a; {
for(d=atoi(a[1])/10*80-atoi(a[2])/5-596;
 n="@NKA\
 CLCCGZAAQBEAADAFaISADJABBA^\
 SNLGAQABDAXIMBAACTBATAHDBAN\
 ZcEMMCCCCAAhEIJFAEAAABAfHJE\
 TBdFLDAANEfDNBPHdBcBBBEA_AL\
 H E L L O, W O R L D! " [l++-3];
 )
for(;n-->64; )
 putchar(!d+++33^l&1);}

---

Here is the code again, resembling code this time in case people were trying to read it South Pole top-wise, following Bert's advice about globes.

Run the program as <program name> int1 int2
where int1 and int2 are integers between -180 and 180.
Ok, Ok , the integers are latitude,longitude and the program gives their location in a way.
Try 38 and -122 for San Francisco.

regards

[ September 01, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

The solution is in danger of going unposted.
Well, I've tried and don't get any output and can't explain how it works.

There's no fun in posting a solution when no one has tried.

regards

I don't know how it works, but the output is a (flat) map of the world.

It is quite clever - I just wish I was clever enough to understand how it worked.

It runs OK on Windows XP, but crashes on Win98.

This is a real memory jog/guess - 16 bit unicode Vs 8 bit unicode?

Well ,I'm trying to run it on XP. Unless the output is being directed elsewhere, I'm not seeing any.

regards

I use the Dev-C++ compiler, so I had to add
getchar();
at the end, otherwise it just ran/closed.

[ September 03, 2003: Message edited by: Michael Dunn ]

Thanks Michael, I'll give that a shot when I have some time.

regards