CodeCraft #1

    CodeCraft #1 is over, here are the results!
    Now it's time to start thinking about CodeCraft #2.

    CodeCraft is a coding contest for the Acorn Archimedes and RiscPC range of computers, with emphasis on small sized programs, much like the Coder's Revenge 1Kb competition.

    1. categories, rules and dates
    2. prizes and voting
    3. submitting an entry
    4. 1024 bytes entries
    5. 4096 bytes entries
    6. usefull stuff and news

    1. categories, rules and dates

    No thema is imposed, you can write a game, demo, utility, inutility or whatever weird idea crosses your mind. The two categories are based upon the size of the program and the programming language used, as follow:

    • 1024 bytes: The program can be written in ARM assembly, Basic, or in whatever language suits your needs (ObeyFile, C... ;).
    • 4096 bytes: The program MUST be written in pure ARM assembly.

    Some more rules applying to both categories:

    • Entries mustn't have been released before.
    • Programs must exit without crashing the system.
    • Entries must be provided as a single file, and be able to run without external data. Sources must be released too (uncompressed version for 1024 bytes Basic entries).
    • Entries and their sources must be freeware.
    • Entries can be modified after they have been submitted, just in case you find another neat improvement.
    • An unlimited number of entries is allowed.
    • No limitation is set on the configuration needed to run the program, but people will certainly not vote for a program they can't see! So you had better aim at low end computers.

    Deadline for entry submission is set to the 30th of june 1999. (Hurry up! ;). The entries will be available for download as soon as they reach me. Voting shall be held during july, and the results be available at the beginning of august.

    2. prizes and voting

    The prizes will consist of Swiss chocolate, and will be for each category:

    • 1st: 1024 grammes
    • 2nd: 512 grammes
    • 3rd: 256 grammes
    Also, all CodeCraftsMen will receive a sample of 50 grammes.

    BUT, i was strongly adviced against sending it during the summer. Melted chocolate wouldn't be only a joke! So i'll send the prizes only in mid-september or so, when it's a bit cooler.

    The vote will be made by sending a mail to abrobecker@yahoo.com with vote1k or vote4k in the start of the subject (note the body won't even be read), followed by "--" and your 3 favorite entries, like this:

    vote1k -- 1: MyFaveOne, 2: VeryGoodOne, 3: AndThisOneIsNeatToo
    vOTe4K -- 1: DaWeirdOne, 2: DaGroovyOne, 3: DaWickedOne    ...
    The entry names must be in one block, ie write "DaWeirdOne" instead of "Da Weird One".
    Please stick to this presentation (case insensitive though), so that it will be easier to sum up the points (3 points for entry rated 1st, 2 points...).

    You can leave blanks (in such case put "null" as the name), but can not repeat an entry twice. Also competitors must not vote for their entries. Of course you shall vote once for the 1k compo, once for the 4k compo, but once only!

    Vote are open from 1st to 21st of july 1999

    You won't be allowed to modify your vote, so ponder it seriously. ;)
    Make sure you have the most recent versions of the entries by looking at the news.

    3. submitting an entry

    Your entry shall be organised as a directory in which one will find 

      * YourProg   the executable file.
  * ReadMe     an informative text file (detail below).
  * More.???   this subdirectory shall contain the sourcecode
               of your program, and whatever else you want,
               as long as it is related to the entry.

    The ReadMe file must begin with some informations about your program, which will be used to present it (look at examples below). You can then add whatever information you want to this file, such as explanations for the sourcecode (needless since your code is commented, isn't it? ;), more details about the program...

    Once you comply with all this (hope it was not too tedious), send me your entry at abrobecker@yahoo.com.

    4. 1024 bytes entries

    Download huge Zip file with all 1Kb entries (156Kb).
    And also download the update of Othello. 
      

    • name:   Acorns
author: Eli-Jean R. Leyssens (pervect@topix.student.utwente.nl)
size:   1022 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RISCOS 3 (Non-squashed version runs on RISCOS 2)
descr.: Acorn logo sticked on rotating and zooming balls
      

    • name:   Beatz
author: David Gamble (gdavid@enterprise.net)
size:   848bytes
needs:  RISC OS 2 + FPE + Big speakers ;)
descr.: Generates breakbeat
      

    • name:   BitStretcher
author: Tony Haines (a.s.haines@bham.ac.uk)
size:   1024 bytes
needs:  ARM2 or later, Mode 13 capable monitor
descr.: 1k demo and game
      

    • name:   ColourDust
author: Kostas Proitsakis (GUS/Arm's Tech)
size:   1024 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2 + Squash + Mode 13
descr.: Coloured lines/curves gone by the wind
      

    • name:   DeleteGuard
author: Martyn Fox (mfox@argonet.co.uk)
size:   460 bytes
needs:  RISC OS 3
descr.: Prompts for confirmation when 'Delete' selected from filer menu
      

    • name:   Emu16
author: Dennis Ranke (exoticorn/icebid)
size:   872 bytes
needs:  SoundDMA module which supports 16bit sound
descr.: 16bit sound emulation for computers with 8bit sound
      

    • name:   FractalSpinZoom
author: Paul Thomson
size:   987 bytes
needs:  VIDC20 + FPE
descr.: Feed back spin/zoom like in K2
      

    • name:   Grow
author: Alex Fox
size:   1024 bytes
needs:  Mode 27 , Fast(ish) processor recommended
descr.: Piles of coloured stuff that grow?
      

    • name:   ItsDemoTime
author: ArmOric (elisei@imag.fr)
size:   1022 bytes
needs:  A7000 or more (with 1Mb VRAM ?)
descr.: Utility to "show" the current time
      

    • name:   Logo
author: Eli-Jean R. Leyssens (pervect@topix.student.utwente.nl)
size:   1021 bytes
needs:  MODE 13 capable monitor + RISCOS 3
descr.: Bouncy, rotating etc "CodeCraft Rulez"
      

    • name:   Modes
author: Dennis Ranke (exoticorn/icebid)
size:   1012 bytes
needs:  RiscPC
descr.: New modes without modifying the MDF
      

    • name:   mp32wav
author: Dennis Ranke (exoticorn/icebid)
size:   611 bytes
needs:  AMPlayer module, 16bit sound (or Emu16)
descr.: Converts mp3 files to wave files using the AMPlayer module
      

    • name:   MultiBoing
author: Eli-Jean R. Leyssens (pervect@topix.student.utwente.nl)
size:   1021 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RISCOS 3 (Non-squashed version runs on RISCOS 2)
descr.: Bounce a ball through multiple applications
      

    • name:   Othello
author: Christopher Fox (cmfox@argonet.co.uk)
size:   1024 bytes
needs:  ARM2 or later, Mode 27, Squash module (included in RISC OS 3)
descr.: Othello game
      

    • name:   Paranoid
author: Alain Brobecker (baah/Arm's Tech)
size:   982 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2 + FPE + Squash
descr.: Lines dancing over a waving background
      

    • name:   PostAmp1
author: David Gamble (gdavid@enterprise.net)
size:   468 bytes
needs:  16 bits sound
descr.: Amplifier and echobox in a module
      

    • name:   PreView
author: Alain Brobecker (baah/Arm's Tech)
size:   990 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2 + FPEemulator + Squash
descr.: A particular text rotating
      

    • name:   Rays
author: tom/kulture (jungle@argonet.co.uk)
size:   1016 Bytes (/1022 Bytes 4 old RPCs)
needs:  Risc PC,FPE
descr.: Realtime sphere raytracer
      

    • name:   RayTracer
author: David Gamble (gdavid@enterprise.net)
size:   1024bytes
needs:  Archimedes + FPE
descr.: RayTracer in 1k
      

    • name:   RotFader
author: David Gamble (gdavid@enterprise.net)
size:   956 bytes
needs:  RiscOS 3+
descr.: Rotating letters + fade
      

    • name:   Sweeper
author: Eli-Jean R. Leyssens (pervect@topix.student.utwente.nl)
size:   1024 bytes (YEAH! ;)
needs:  Arm2 + RISCOS 3 (Non-squashed version runs on RISCOS 2)
descr.: MODE 13 version of the (by now) classic minesweeper
      

    • name:   Tun1k
author: tom/kulture (jungle@argonet.co.uk)
size:   1024 bytes
needs:  Risc OS,FPE
descr.: 1kb demo
      

    • name:   WimpLife
author: Alain Brobecker (abrobecker@yahoo.com)
size:   748 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2
descr.: Wimp version of Conway's life game
      

    • name:   Wimpory
author: Eli-Jean R. Leyssens (pervect@topix.student.utwente.nl)
size:   972 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RISCOS 3
descr.: Wimp version of the classic memory card game

    5. 4096 bytes entries

    Download huge Zip file with all 4Kb entries (195Kb). 

      

    • name:   escape
author: tom/kulture (jungle@argonet.co.uk)
size:   4028 Bytes (/3572 Bytes <rpc)
needs:  Risc OS,FPE
descr.: 4kb demo
      

    • name:   Foxel
author: James Andrews (jna@argonet.co.uk)
size:   1784 bytes
needs:  FPE
descr.: Interactive illuminated voxelscape - now in Technicolour
      

    • name:   HugeMacros (writes things in !boot)
author: Kostas Proitsakis (GUS/Arm's Tech)
size:   4096 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2 + Squash + !Boot ala RiscPC
descr.: Keyboard macro system
      

    • name:   MiniPet
author: Owain Cole (VotI) owain@bigfoot.com
size:   2500 bytes (Well it was 2485 but that was a bit dull)
needs:  A caring owner and lots of attention (and RiscOS3!)
descr.: A small cute desktop animal that you can torture!
      

    • name:   SockZ interpreter v0.01b
author: Alain Brobecker (abrobecker@yahoo.com)
size:   3216 bytes
needs:  Arm2 + RiscOS 2
descr.: Interpreter for "Stack Oriented Calculus Kernel in Z"
      

    • name:   sto?
author: Dennis Ranke (exoticorn/icebid)
size:   4096 bytes
needs:  RiscPC
descr.: 4k intro
      

    • name:   Stopwatch
author: Martyn Fox (mfox@argonet.co.uk)
size:   3124 bytes
needs:  RISC OS 3
descr.: count up/count down timer
      

    • name:   X
author: Tony Haines
size:   3108 bytes
needs:  ARM2 RiscOS2 probably sufficient (&Mode4)
descr.: A rather gritty game
      

    • name:   X-fileZ
author: Mark Adcock (casma) adcock@intonet.co.uk
size:   4090 bytes
needs:  arm3 to look good, modes 12+13, 400k ram, 240k screen memory
descr.: quite spooky (but mostly green) 4k demo/intro

    6. usefull stuff and news

    Here is some stuff of interest for you:

      ExtBas by Darren Salt, extends the Basic's assembler (FPE instructions, etc).
      Bax by Ben Dooks (of DoggySoft), has the same purpose.
      Squasher by Eli Jean Leyssens (Pervect/Topix), is a CLI tool to pack your 1kb absolute & basic contributions. It uses the squash module.
      StrongBS by Mohsen Alshayef, for packing basic programs.
      Crunch by Bernard Jungen (of BASS) does the same with absolute files.
      CR 1k contest entries provided for inspiration.
      some *info submissions for the same reason.

    At last here are the news:
    jul24 - Modified informations about the prizes.
    jul21 - Added the results, and links to the CodeCraft #%10 pages.
    jul09 - Now visit our sponsor: R-Comp Interactive. Updated Othello and added a web counter.
    jul05 - Added some more conventions for the voting system.
    jul03 - Huge zip files with all entries, thanks to Pervect/Topix. Alpha sorted entries.
    jul02 - Updated Othello and Sto?.
    jul02 - Opened vote. Added infos about #2. Updated Grow, Rays and Sto?.
    jul01 - Added Grow, Othello (1Kb) and Sto? (4Kb). Updated ItsDemoTime.
    jun30 - Deadline pushed back. Updated Logo, Rays and X.
    jun30 - Added ItsDemoTime, Logo, PreView, Rays (1Kb) and X (4Kb). Advertising for Coder's Revenge!
    jun28 - Updated Acorns. Added more precisions on the voting system.
    jun27 - Added Acorns, Mp32Wav, MultiBoing, Sweeper and Wimpory (1Kb). Updated Emu16.
    jun26 - Updated Foxel and infos. Many people are in a hurry! ;)
    jun24 - Updated X-FileZ.
    jun23 - Added SockZ (4Kb) and Tun1k (1Kb). Also updated Escape.
    jun20 - Added Modes (1Kb).
    jun18 - Added X-FileZ (4Kb).
    jun17 - Added Foxel and HugeMacros (4Kb).
    jun11 - Added ColourDust (1Kb).
    jun09 - Added Emu16 (1Kb).
    jun06 - More infos on the voting system (thanks Owain).
    may28 - Added links to ExtBas and Bax tools.
    may24 - New version of Escape.
    may21 - Added Minipet (4Kb).
    may19 - Added DeleteGuard (1Kb) and Escape (4Kb). Also updated Beatz.
    may17 - Added two 1Kb entries: RayTracer and Paranoid. Updated BreakBeat (new name is Beatz).
    may13 - First 4Kb entry released: Stopwatch.
    may09 - Added some infos, a new version of RotFader and one more entry: Fractal spin/zoom.
    may03 - New Squasher version released (now v0.02).
    apr26 - Added 3 entries: BitStretcher, RotFader and BreakBeat. Also added a tool (Squasher).
    apr12 - Two entries are now downloadable:PostAmp1 and WimpLife. Added some infos.
    apr04 - Rules modified: unlimited number of entries, and they will be downloadable before the deadline. Added infos about some planned entries. More people said they will participate, i'm waiting for more infos on their submissions.
    mar23 - This file uploaded, beginning of the contest.
    Send entries, questions, support to Alain Brobecker (abrobecker@yahoo.com).
    Count started on 9 july 1999