Nice

This sounds like it'll be fun.

But not for you, since you're hosting it. So you can't win.

Not without being evil.

Yay, one less competition.

Um...that would be "competetor". Just FYI.

Error: "competitor" :-)

Sounds remarkably similar to the UTI contests. I'm tempted to write a program and submit it into the 68k basic category. There's never really much competition in that area, so I might just win. ;)

So setting a specific project/topic is the way you plan on making sure that people don't go in loaded with pre-made code?

Yes. For this contest it will be something that only several people have made before (from my research in the ticalc.org archives... Although I'm sure that some people have done it and just not submitted it to the archives).

But of course we'll also rely on everyone's honesty. Only very weird people would enjoy winning a contest that they cheated on... There just isn't any satisfaction...

I don't know if this can work, but maybe (if you have the time) you could check the properties of the programs (a.k.a. when they were created and stuff?)

No, that would not work.

What...can you hide it or what?

Where the heck do you expect to get these "properties of programs"? If you mean the file properties set by any modern OS, then the use could simply create a new file and copy everything into it to make it look more recent...

I wasn't saying it would definitely work. I was just saying that if they did have an invalid date, you could tell...just an idea???

Sorry, but there are plenty of programs (such as ResEdit) that will, among other things, mess about with file dates at your command. Good try, though!

That was kind of like a rhetorical comment?

Sounds good. Now, what'll the challenge be? Ooh! Ooh! I know! Pick me! Pick me! :}

make a prog that can calculate RPN expressions*
sounds pretty impossible to me, but if i think about it, i might be able to do it.

*see www.calcgames.org for details on RPNs

Having programmed for the 82/83 and 85/86, programming 85/86 assembly is basically identical to programming 82/83 assembly. I really don't see why they get a separate category.

Sure, the Z80's the same, but the hardware (wider screen that can be addressed, different keyboard, ect.) could change little things.

The basic, as far as I know, is different enough, and the asm entrypoints are diffent as well, of course.

I suppose depending on turnout they may be collapsed together if any more contests are done in this manner.

Topic posted, I may give it a shot.