from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
display hack
n.
A program with the same approximate purpose as a kaleidoscope: to make
pretty pictures. Famous display hacks include {munching squares},
{smoking clover}, the BSD Unix rain(6) program, worms(6) on
miscellaneous Unixes, and the {X} kaleid(1) program. Display hacks can
also be implemented by creating text files containing numerous escape
sequences for interpretation by a video terminal; one notable example
displayed, on any VT100, a Christmas tree with twinkling lights and a
toy train circling its base. The {hack value} of a display hack is
proportional to the esthetic value of the images times the cleverness
of the algorithm divided by the size of the code. Syn.
{psychedelicware}.
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
display hack
<graphics> A program with the same approximate purpose as a
kaleidoscope: to make pretty pictures. Famous display hacks
include {munching squares}, {smoking clover}, the {BSD Unix}
"rain(6)" program, "worms(6)" on miscellaneous Unixes, and the
{X} "kaleid(1)" program. Display hacks can also be
implemented without programming by creating text files
containing numerous escape sequences for interpretation by a
video terminal; one notable example displayed, on any VT100, a
Christmas tree with twinkling lights and a toy train circling
its base. The {hack value} of a display hack is proportional
to the aesthetic value of the images times the cleverness of
the algorithm divided by the size of the code. Synonym
{psychedelicware}.
[{Jargon File}]
(1995-05-10)