Programmer/designer [Steven Wittens] has posted a fantastic write-up on the black art of producing compact demo code,*dissecting his own entry in the 1K JavaScript Demo Contest. The goal is*to produce the best JavaScript demo that can be expressed in 1024 characters or less and works reliably across all standards-compliant web browsers.
[Wittens] details several techniques for creating a lot of visual flash in very few bytes,*including the use of procedural graphics rather than fixed datasets,*exploiting prime numbers to avoid obvious repetitions in movement,*and strategically fudging formulas to save space while adding visual interest.*These methods are just as applicable to other memory-constrained situations, not just JavaScript — some of the contest entries bear a resemblance to the compact microcontroller demos we’ve previously showcased, except running in your browser window.
The contest runs through September 10th, allowing ample time to come up with something*even more clever.*Whether he wins or not, we*think [Steven] deserves special merit*on account of having one of the most stylish blogs in recent memory!
