We really only need a couple of things to make anything a language:

1. A language must be able to input and then execute source code. Input means something like "load a file" or "paste in some text". It does not mean "click in these 20 spots". We are inputting bytes.
2. We score the entire source code by measuring its bytes.

What we don't do, is define input/output. We like to be very flexible in this manner, and trying to nail down input/output for a language often doesn't work well.

The general rule of thumb is that we try to represent the desired input/output as closely as we can in the given language. For example, if you needed to input 2 integers, I'd personally simply represent each integer by a set of 8 locations (e.g. 8-bit integers, with a piece of sand representing a bit). Output is similar. We simply require that you are consistent (within a challenge) (you can't have half of your bits be represented by "water" and another half as "oil")

If, after submissions have been posted, it turns out that input/output representation isn't commonly agreed upon, then we can hash out the details on Meta (and the discussion will be more productive, as we will have concrete examples)

We really only need a couple of things to make anything a language:

1. A language must be able to input and then execute source code. Input means something like "load a file" or "paste in some text". It does not mean "click in these 20 spots". We are inputting bytes.
2. We score the entire source code by measuring its bytes.

What we don't do, is define input/output. We like to be very flexible in this manner, and trying to nail down input/output for a language often doesn't work well.

The general rule of thumb is that we try to represent the desired input/output as closely as we can in the given language. For example, if you needed to input 2 integers, I'd personally simply represent each integer by a set of 8 locations (e.g. 8-bit integers, with a piece of sand representing a bit). Output is similar. We simply require that you are consistent (within a post) (you can't have half of your bits be represented by "water" and another half as "oil")

If, after submissions have been posted, it turns out that input/output representation isn't commonly agreed upon, then we can hash out the details on Meta (and the discussion will be more productive, as we will have concrete examples)

We really only need a couple of things to make anything a language:

1. A language must be able to input and then execute source code. Input means something like "load a file" or "paste in some text". It does not mean "click in these 20 spots". We are inputting bytes.
2. We score the entire source code by measuring its bytes.

What we don't do, is define input/output. We like to be very flexible in this manner, and trying to nail down input/output for a language often doesn't work well.

The general rule of thumb is that we try to represent the desired input/output as closely as we can in the given language. For example, if you needed to input 2 integers, I'd personally simply represent each integer by a set of 8 locations (e.g. 8-bit integers, with a piece of sand representing a bit). Output is similar. We simply require that you are consistent (within a challenge) (you can't have half of your bits be represented by "water" and another half as "oil")

We really only need a couple of things to make anything a language:

1. A language must be able to input and then execute source code. Input means something like "load a file" or "paste in some text". It does not mean "click in these 20 spots". We are inputting bytes.
2. We score the entire source code by measuring its bytes.

What we don't do, is define input/output. We like to be very flexible in this manner, and trying to nail down input/output for a language often doesn't work well.

The general rule of thumb is that we try to represent the desired input/output as closely as we can in the given language. For example, if you needed to input 2 integers, I'd personally simply represent each integer by a set of 8 locations (e.g. 8-bit integers, with a piece of sand representing a bit). Output is similar. We simply require that you are consistent (within a challenge) (you can't have half of your bits be represented by "water" and another half as "oil")

If, after submissions have been posted, it turns out that input/output representation isn't commonly agreed upon, then we can hash out the details on Meta (and the discussion will be more productive, as we will have concrete examples)