Question about Python option

[Harly H.]

Hi Team,

The rules page contains the sentence "C++, Python, and Assembler are accepted."

I have a question in the context of Python code which uses only standard Python libraries.  

Is a comp9.py file alone accepted?

- If not, what else must be provided?

- If yes:

1) How are the sizes calculated?

2) Can comp9.py produce an archive9.py (which also self-contains the compressed enwik9 data), or must the resulting archive9 definitely be produced as executable binary, even in the case the compressor is a .py-file?

With C++ and Assembler, it's clear that you can't run those without compiling them first. With Python, it's not really clear what is meant here.

I hope you can clarify this. Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Harly

[James Bowery]

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 11:55:53 AM UTC-6 aarli...@gmail.com wrote:

...

Is a comp9.py file alone accepted?

The build process for any executable must produce a self-contained executable binary.  The allowance for differing languages is to align with the open source intent of the prize.

 

- If not, what else must be provided?

Anything upon which the binary build process depends.  If you use Python, then you must provide not only the libraries upon which your script relies beyond these standard Python 3 libraries, but you must also package an executable binary that incorporates all such libraries.  These will generally bottom out in external linkages to the standard "C" IO libraries which serve as a common basis for all languages due to their tight integration with the operating system.  If there is a new compilation environment that is critical to the successful build, as happened with the advent of the Starlit entry, then installation of the relevant build tools must be included.

The purpose, again, is to ensure reproducibility by any interested parties with minimum effort.

As there is increasing interest in the Hutter Prize, and as entries are increasingly competitive in squeezing out the "fluff" in the binary generation as well as the relevant algorithms, it is likely that judging will become semiautomated in the not too distant future, based on a common reference cloud instance with standard Intel instruction set.