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ASCII fluid dynamics -- IOCCC2012 endoh1.c

Yusuke Endoh · demo · Watch on YouTube

Creative coding & generative artC, C++, Rust, Go & systems languagesComputer graphics & rendering

What it is

A 3-minute demo of a tiny IOCCC 2012 winning C program that simulates fluid dynamics in an 80x25 terminal, using any text (including its own source) as input. The video shows the simulation running to Handel's Water Music.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Commenters repeatedly point to it as an astonishing, beautiful piece of obfuscated-C code golf.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 3 strong recommendations
  • first 2018, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “His C program which creates an approximation of fluid dynamics from any text input is insane”

    Astonishing C program approximating fluid dynamics from any text input.

    yung_steezy, 2022-05 · Strong recommendation · in “An uroboros program with 100 programming languages”

  2. “arguably more astonished when I saw it for the first time”

    ASCII fluid dynamics IOCCC entry that astonished the commenter more than the quine.

    daptaq, 2022-10 · Strong recommendation · in “A Ruby program that generates itself through a 128-language quine loop”

  3. “truly a work of art”

    Compact C source runs full fluid sim and can take itself as input.

    6502nerdface, 2023-02 · Strong recommendation · in “2D Liquid Simulator with Cellular Automaton”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: ioccc, fluid simulation, ascii art, c, code golf

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