The following code is given as a challenge to us in one of our online games.

#include <stdio.h>
main(t,_,a)char *a;{return!0<t?t<3?main(-79,-13,a+main(-87,1-_,
main(-86,0,a+1)+a)):1,t<_?main(t+1,_,a):3,main(-94,-27+t,a)&&t==2?_<13?
main(2,_+1,"%s %d %d\n"):9:16:t<0?t<-72?main(_,t,
"@n'+,#'/*{}w+/w#cdnr/+,{}r/*de}+,/*{*+,/w{%+,/w#q#n+,/#{l,+,/n{n+,/+#n+,/#\
;#q#n+,/+k#;*+,/'r :'d*'3,}{w+K w'K:'+}e#';dq#'l \
q#'+d'K#!/+k#;q#'r}eKK#}w'r}eKK{nl]'/#;#q#n'){)#}w'){){nl]'/+#n';d}rw' i;# \
){nl]!/n{n#'; r{#w'r nc{nl]'/#{l,+'K {rw' iK{;[{nl]'/w#q#n'wk nw' \
iwk{KK{nl]!/w{%'l##w#' i; :{nl]'/*{q#'ld;r'}{nlwb!/*de}'c \
;;{nl'-{}rw]'/+,}##'*}#nc,',#nw]'/+kd'+e}+;#'rdq#w! nr'/ ') }+}{rl#'{n' ')# \
}'+}##(!!/")
:t<-50?_==*a?putchar(31[a]):main(-65,_,a+1):main((*a=='/')+t,_,a+1)
:0<t?main(2,2,"%s"):*a=='/'||main(0,main(-61,*a,
"!ek;dc i@bK'(q)-[w]*%n+r3#l,{}:\nuwloca-O;m .vpbks,fxntdCeghiry"),a+1);}

I just copy pasted it to my Dev C++ and executed it, it started displaying the Christmas caroll song! On the first day of christmas, my true love.....

Well, i need to find something from this that will let me procedd to the next level. A clue has been given that
"Have some festive cheer :)"
"the "public bathroom" might help you"

Is there anything in the public part of the code? please help! Thnx in advance!

southern dragon

That's kind of cute. It was the winner of an International Obfuscated C Contest in the 1990s.

oh...is this Code that Old???
Well, now what am i supposed to do?

southern dragon

So what part of the above code don't you understand?

i dont understand anything!
;)
Here are the clues given to me:
1)Have some festive cheer :)
2)the "public bathroom" might help you

I am guessing that the password i need to find from this code to proceed to the next level should be in the "public" part of the mag, right?

Please help me out Sir!

southern dragon

Madhan,

When I asked what part you didn't understand, I was only teasing - you're not supposed to understand it, that's why it's called obfuscated!

I am not sure what these two clues mean. But here are my guesses:

1. Have some festive cheer: Don't take this puzzle seriously, just relax and enjoy it!

2. The "public bathroom" - perhaps this means Google? Anyone else have a guess?

What password are you referring to? What has this code got to do with any concept of password?

What do you mean by "proceed to the next level?"

What do you mean by "public part?" This is just a piece of C source code, and C (unlike C++) has no public/private/protected parts, everything is public.

Hi Klint!! The "public bathroom" was indeed the google!
I just copy pasted few part of this code, keyed in some terms n viola, I was taken to the IOCCC webpage! I got the original code, compiled it and executed, it sang the "12 days of christmas"
Lol...Guess what, the password to my next level was twelve days of christmas!
:D
Now i am stuck with some even more obfuscated Number! ;)

Here it is, thought i should let u know...

00:15:00

12:30:00

02:15:30

02:15:20

Clue: PWM

I am guessing pulse width modulation??

southern dragon

"Public Bathroom" == Google? What am I missing here?

madhan: I am guessing pulse width modulation??
Could be. PMW is indeed a popular abbreviation for Pulse Width Modulation, and PMWs are used to control electric motors. In which case the numbers would refer to the current direction of said motor. (Imagine an hour hand attached to the shaft of the motor.)

maybe PWM means purple wild monkeys and the numbers are the times of day you should google said monkeys

Cheese, the more you eat it, the less you care about how mouldy it is!