Esoteric programming language
Esoteric programming languages are programming languages that were not developed for practical use, but to implement unusual language concepts. Simple operation is rare, languages are sometimes designed to have algorithms that are as complicated as possible or incomprehensible syntax , but often also to try out new ideas or to show unusual possibilities such as extreme simplification.
Esoteric programming languages only have something to do with esotericism in the true sense of the word : Since esotericism is generally considered a synonym for absurd pseudosciences, the term was transferred to those programming languages that appear just as senseless and absurd in the eyes of outsiders.
The motivation behind developing esoteric programming languages can vary. In some cases it is just an academic joke , but often the developer of the language has a specific goal. At Brainfuck , for example, conventional language properties were removed as far as possible until a Turing machine-like language remained that can get by with an extremely small compiler.
Esoteric programming languages can be used to demonstrate concepts for more application-related programming languages. In addition, working with the various esoteric programming languages can deepen the understanding of "serious" programming languages and improve one's own structural thinking.
Examples
- Brainfuck - minimal imperative programming language , tiny compiler from Urban Müller
- Shakespeare Programming Language - Code looks like a play by William Shakespeare , by Kalle Hasselström and Jon Åslund
- Piet - program code consists of abstract images, by David Morgan-Mar
See also
- The programming language BANCStar is often confused with an esoteric language, although it was developed for financial applications.
- List of Hello World Programs - Esoteric Programming Languages
- List of esoteric programming languages
- Curiosity: For the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering one could Turing completeness be detected. From a formal point of view, this game is also a programming language.
literature
- Oliver Lau: Hexenwerk - A plea for esoteric programming languages . In: c't 22/2007, pp. 192-199.
- Michael Mateas, Nick Montfort: A Box, Darkly: Obfuscation, Weird Languages, and Code Aesthetics (PDF), in: Proceedings of the 6th Digital Arts and Culture Conference, IT University of Copenhagen , 1. – 3. December 2005, pp. 144-153
Individual evidence
- ^ Seminar Esoteric Programming Languages , University of Oldenburg
- ↑ Alex Churchill, Stella Biedermann and Austin Herrick: Magic: The Gathering is Turing Complete. April 23, 2019, accessed June 15, 2019 .
- ↑ Manon Bischoff: The most complex game of all. June 11, 2019, accessed June 15, 2019 .
Web links
- The Esoteric Programming Languages Ring
- Lecture: The benefits of useless programming
- Esolang wiki A wiki that deals with esoteric programming languages
- The LOLCODE Wiki