Beginner’s Guide to Brainf**k Programming Language


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What is Brainf**k?

Brainf**k is an *esoteric* programming language designed with one primary goal: to make your brain hurt! While it’s a fully functional programming language, capable of solving any problem that other Turing-complete languages can, it’s not meant for building practical software. Instead, it’s like a piece of art, meant to challenge your understanding of how programming languages should work.

Key Features:

  • Minimalist Design: Created in 1993 by Urban Müller, a Swiss physics student, Brainf**k was made to have the *smallest possible compiler*. The original compiler is *less than 200 bytes*!
  • Simple, Yet Powerful: Despite its simplicity, it is Turing-complete, meaning it can theoretically perform any computation, although not as easily as modern languages.

Brainf**k’s Working Structure

In Brainf**k, there are no variables, functions, or classes. The entire program operates on a *single array of 30,000 bytes*, where each value starts at zero. You control a pointer that moves over the array, and there are *only 8 commands* you can use:

  1. >: Move the pointer one cell to the right.
  2. <: Move the pointer one cell to the left.
  3. +: Increase the value in the current cell by 1.
  4. -: Decrease the value in the current cell by 1.
  5. .: Output the value in the current cell as a character.
  6. ,: Input a character and store it in the current cell.
  7. [: Start a loop, continuing while the current cell’s value is not zero.
  8. ]: End the loop started by the [ command.

Writing Code in Brainf**k

Let’s walk through how you would say “Hi Mom!” in Brainf**k.

Step-by-Step Example:

  1. Start with a 30,000-cell array, all initialized to 0.
  2. Use the commands to adjust the cell values to correspond to the ASCII characters for “Hi Mom!” (For example, H is 104, i is 105, and so on).
  3. To print H, you first move to a specific cell and increment its value until it reaches 104. Then you use the . command to output the character.
  4. You repeat this process for each letter in “Hi Mom!” by manually adjusting each cell’s value.
>++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<.>++++[<+++++++>-]<+.+++++++..+++.>>>++++++++[<+++++++>-]<.>>>++++++++++[<+++++++++++>-]<---.<<<<.+++.------.--------.>>>+.

Running Brainf**k Code

Once you’ve written your code, you can run it using an online Brainfk interpreter**. Just *copy-paste your code* into the interpreter, and voila! You’ve written a program in Brainf**k!

Why Learn Brainf**k?

While Brainf**k is not meant for developing apps or software, it offers a fun way to:

  • Challenge your mind and rethink programming.
  • Understand low-level memory manipulation, as Brainf**k works directly with memory cells.
  • Experience the beauty of minimalism in programming.

Brainf**k may seem intimidating, but it’s a fantastic way to explore programming from a completely different perspective. By limiting yourself to just 8 commands, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for more modern languages while also sharpening your logic and problem-solving skills.

So, give it a try and enjoy the challenge! You’ve just scratched the surface of the quirky world of Brainf**k!


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