Show HN: A partial HTTP server written in brainfuck extended with syscalls (opens in new tab)

It's really cute how the author added $ to insert a debugging break into the source. Instead of "debugging by printf", which is a bit tedious in brainfuck, this is driving your debugger by editing the source code. Bravo!

umanwizard9y ago

You laugh, but Python works the same way.

deepanjanroy9y ago

I recently learned you can do a similar thing with C/C++ too. Programmatically raise a SIGINT when running under gdb, and gdb will intercept that signal, at which point you can step through the code.

1 more reply

greglindahl9y ago

I was laughing in a good way, it's always cool to see not only the "thing" but how it was debugged.

As for python, I debug it by adding print() statements. No debugger involved. If there's a way to insert debugger breakpoints in the source, I'm unaware of it.

1 more reply

mattnewton9y ago

And I often find this very useful in JavaScript

ww5209y ago· 2 in thread

I think the best approach for the Brainfuck madness is to write a compiler/transpirer from a high level language (e.g. LOLCODE) to generate Brainfuck code. Then you can write your app in the high level language and show off the generated Brainfuck code.

thenewwazoo9y ago

If anyone out there in Internet land is going to do this, please, please select INTERCAL as the high-level language, I implore you.

hood_syntax9y ago

I put in a vote for Malbolge

1 more reply

andreaorru9y ago· 2 in thread

This is madness. Also, has anyone noticed the Brainfuck interpreter is written in assembly?!

Rhinobird9y ago

>the Brainfuck interpreter is written in assembly?!

Having reached the lowest level of the machine, they started digging...

nickthemagicman9y ago

Lol and assembly is more readable.

gregmac9y ago· 2 in thread

Isn't leaving comments or whitespace in brainfuck code considered bad form?

ajyoonOP9y ago

There is a minified version here if you're into that kind of thing https://github.com/ajyoon/systemf/blob/master/examples/http/...

forgotmyacc9y ago

lol

mi100hael9y ago· 2 in thread

I don't know whether to be impressed or scornful that it's interpreted rather than compiled.

ajyoonOP9y ago

I was surprised to learn that this has got to be one of the only languages which is easier to compile than interpret. When compiled the language reduces to basically a single-register assembly with a one-to-one character-to-line ratio. Bracket branching can be extremely easily implemented with jump labels and `test` + `jnz` statements without having to worry about things like parsing and jump table construction at all.

QuercusMax9y ago

It's pretty freaking easy to interpret, as well... I implemented an interpreter in Go (which I had never used before) in an hour or so; most of the time spent was learning the two languages (Go and BF).

I should start asking interview candidates to write a BF interpreter...

raw239y ago· 2 in thread

I think the author is a masochist

Pica_soO9y ago

The author wrote parts of sauerbraten, he is a cool guy and not afraid of anything.

lmurray9y ago

Do you play? I spent ages on that game. Any word on why that would mean he isn't afraid of anything?

2 more replies

bweitzman9y ago· 2 in thread

Why call it systemf? That name is already taken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_F

poizan429y ago

Didn't you get the memo? We ran out of names about 10 years ago, so now everything is fair game

macintux9y ago

http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-06-23

autotune9y ago· 1 in thread

It's fantastic how the author was able to get this up and running, but not the hello world example.

ajyoonOP9y ago

listen...

cwmma9y ago· 1 in thread

can we talk about how github has code highlighting supports brainfuck?

I didn't really expect that

kevincox9y ago

I was impressed, but then again it's like a 1h project so anyone with an interest can do it.

rui3149y ago· 1 in thread

Would it be easier to write a HTTP server in C and compile to Brainfuck using ELVM (https://github.com/shinh/elvm)?

ajyoonOP9y ago

Much easier, the equivalent C would be in the area of 15-20 statements

tlrobinson9y ago

This is perhaps the most Hacker News headline ever.

jksmith9y ago

Is this idiomatic Brainfuck?

grabcocque9y ago

Please, I have a family. Don't do this.

badminton19y ago

Because the brainfuck syntax is very simple, it's not really hard to generate a valid program from random characters.

The language is also Turing complete.

It is possible to use genetic programming (and other approaches) to generate brainfuck programs without an insane amount of effort.

Eventually the resulting program can be processed to be made more efficient.

this-dang-guy9y ago

So delighted to see this :D I once fail/won with a paper in whitespace. I love the non-traditional programming languages. They're fun, whimsical, and sometimes a nice break.

LOLCode is still my favorite though. I wrote a prime number generator in it for fun :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

59 comments

41 comments · 16 top-level

le-mark9y ago· 6 in thread

So we've come to this. At least it's not another javascript framework (ducks).

yoz-y9y ago

Baby steps, but we will eventually get to reactive-brainfuck.

Cyph0n9y ago

I've already filed a patent for BaaS (Brainfuck as a service), so don't even think about it guys. I'm in it for the long run ;)

1 more reply

ifdefdebug9y ago

Ok but first we should rewrite the kernel in brainfuck. No, really.

nickthemagicman9y ago

All someone has to do is write a JS->brainfuck transpiler and we could have this.

2 more replies

foota9y ago

Waiting for serverless brainfuck

Artemix9y ago

And maybe a brainfuck framework to develop cross-platform apps

greglindahl9y ago· 4 in thread

umanwizard9y ago

You laugh, but Python works the same way.

deepanjanroy9y ago

I recently learned you can do a similar thing with C/C++ too. Programmatically raise a SIGINT when running under gdb, and gdb will intercept that signal, at which point you can step through the code.

1 more reply

greglindahl9y ago

I was laughing in a good way, it's always cool to see not only the "thing" but how it was debugged.

As for python, I debug it by adding print() statements. No debugger involved. If there's a way to insert debugger breakpoints in the source, I'm unaware of it.

1 more reply

mattnewton9y ago

And I often find this very useful in JavaScript

ww5209y ago· 2 in thread

thenewwazoo9y ago

If anyone out there in Internet land is going to do this, please, please select INTERCAL as the high-level language, I implore you.

hood_syntax9y ago

I put in a vote for Malbolge

1 more reply

andreaorru9y ago· 2 in thread

This is madness. Also, has anyone noticed the Brainfuck interpreter is written in assembly?!

Rhinobird9y ago

>the Brainfuck interpreter is written in assembly?!

Having reached the lowest level of the machine, they started digging...

nickthemagicman9y ago

Lol and assembly is more readable.

gregmac9y ago· 2 in thread

Isn't leaving comments or whitespace in brainfuck code considered bad form?

ajyoonOP9y ago

There is a minified version here if you're into that kind of thing https://github.com/ajyoon/systemf/blob/master/examples/http/...

forgotmyacc9y ago

lol

mi100hael9y ago· 2 in thread

I don't know whether to be impressed or scornful that it's interpreted rather than compiled.

ajyoonOP9y ago

QuercusMax9y ago

I should start asking interview candidates to write a BF interpreter...

raw239y ago· 2 in thread

I think the author is a masochist

Pica_soO9y ago

The author wrote parts of sauerbraten, he is a cool guy and not afraid of anything.

lmurray9y ago

Do you play? I spent ages on that game. Any word on why that would mean he isn't afraid of anything?

2 more replies

bweitzman9y ago· 2 in thread

Why call it systemf? That name is already taken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_F

poizan429y ago

Didn't you get the memo? We ran out of names about 10 years ago, so now everything is fair game

macintux9y ago

http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-06-23

autotune9y ago· 1 in thread

It's fantastic how the author was able to get this up and running, but not the hello world example.

ajyoonOP9y ago

listen...

cwmma9y ago· 1 in thread

can we talk about how github has code highlighting supports brainfuck?

I didn't really expect that

kevincox9y ago

I was impressed, but then again it's like a 1h project so anyone with an interest can do it.

rui3149y ago· 1 in thread

Would it be easier to write a HTTP server in C and compile to Brainfuck using ELVM (https://github.com/shinh/elvm)?

ajyoonOP9y ago

Much easier, the equivalent C would be in the area of 15-20 statements

tlrobinson9y ago

This is perhaps the most Hacker News headline ever.

jksmith9y ago

Is this idiomatic Brainfuck?

grabcocque9y ago

Please, I have a family. Don't do this.

badminton19y ago

Because the brainfuck syntax is very simple, it's not really hard to generate a valid program from random characters.

The language is also Turing complete.

It is possible to use genetic programming (and other approaches) to generate brainfuck programs without an insane amount of effort.

Eventually the resulting program can be processed to be made more efficient.

this-dang-guy9y ago

So delighted to see this :D I once fail/won with a paper in whitespace. I love the non-traditional programming languages. They're fun, whimsical, and sometimes a nice break.

LOLCode is still my favorite though. I wrote a prime number generator in it for fun :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse