Assembly Language Quine

x86 Linux, AT&T syntax: 244

push $10
push $34
push $s
push $34
push $37
push $37
push $s
call printf
mov $0,%ebx
mov $1,%eax
int $128
s:.ascii "push $10
push $34
push $s
push $34
push $37
push $37
push $s
call printf
mov $0,%cebx
mov $1,%ceax
int $128
s:.ascii %c%s%c%c"

(I compiled it with this: gcc -nostartfiles -lc quine.S -o quine)

gas for x86 Linux (89 88 bytes, seven instructions)

Technically, this is cheating.

mov $4,%al
mov $1,%bl
mov $b,%ecx
mov $89,%dl
int $128
mov $1,%al
int $128
b:.incbin"a"

Save in a file named a and assemble with the following commands to create the executable named a.out.

as -o a.o <a ; ld a.o

The directive .incbin includes a file verbatim at the current location. If you use this to include the source code itself, you get a nice quine.

JVM Bytecode Assembly (via Jasmin) – 952 960 990

.class public Q
.super java/io/File
.method public static main([Ljava/lang/String;)V
.limit stack 9
getstatic java/lang/System/out Ljava/io/PrintStream;
ldc ".class public Q%n.super java/io/File%n.method public static main([Ljava/lang/String;)V%n.limit stack 9%ngetstatic java/lang/System/out Ljava/io/PrintStream;%nldc %c%s%c%nldc 3%nanewarray java/lang/Object%ndup%ndup%nldc 0%nldc 34%ninvokestatic java/lang/Integer/valueOf(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;%ndup_x2%naastore%nldc 2%nswap%naastore%ndup2%nswap%nldc 1%nswap%naastore%ninvokevirtual java/io/PrintStream/printf(Ljava/lang/String;[Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/io/PrintStream;%npop%nreturn%n.end method"
ldc 3
anewarray java/lang/Object
dup
dup
ldc 0
ldc 34
invokestatic java/lang/Integer/valueOf(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;
dup_x2
aastore
ldc 2
swap
aastore
dup2
swap
ldc 1
swap
aastore
invokevirtual java/io/PrintStream/printf(Ljava/lang/String;[Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/io/PrintStream;
pop
return
.end method

Sadly, Jasmin doesn't allow as many nice tricks as Microsoft's ilasm allows. But the JVM has a total of six different dup instructions that do all kinds of fun things. Reordering items on the stack is something .NET doesn't seem to support.

In any case, I guess none of my two entries are serious contenders for shortest code but I guess it's hard to make them much shorter. Therefore just for completeness :-)

Commented version with info about what's on the stack:

.class public Q
.super java/io/File
.method public static main([Ljava/lang/String;)V
.limit stack 9
getstatic java/lang/System/out Ljava/io/PrintStream;
ldc ".class public Q%n.super java/io/File%n.method public static main([Ljava/lang/String;)V%n.limit stack 9%ngetstatic java/lang/System/out Ljava/io/PrintStream;%nldc %c%s%c%nldc 3%nanewarray java/lang/Object%ndup%ndup%nldc 0%nldc 34%ninvokestatic java/lang/Integer/valueOf(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;%ndup_x2%naastore%nldc 2%nswap%naastore%ndup2%nswap%nldc 1%nswap%naastore%ninvokevirtual java/io/PrintStream/printf(Ljava/lang/String;[Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/io/PrintStream;%npop%nreturn%n.end method"
ldc 3       ; stack; System.out, string, 3
anewarray java/lang/Object    ; stack: System.out, string, Object[3]
dup
dup    ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, array
ldc 0  ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, array, 0
ldc 34   ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, array, 0, 34
invokestatic java/lang/Integer/valueOf(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;
dup_x2   ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, 34, array, 0, 34
aastore  ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, 34
ldc 2    ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, 34, 2
swap     ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, 2, 34
aastore  ; stack: System.out, string, array
dup2     ; stack: System.out, string, array, string, array
swap     ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, string
ldc 1    ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, string, 1
swap     ; stack: System.out, string, array, array, 1, string
aastore  ; stack: System.out, string, array
invokevirtual java/io/PrintStream/printf(Ljava/lang/String;[Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/io/PrintStream;
pop
return
.end method

History:

• 2011-02-07 02:09 (990) – First working version.
• 2011-02-07 02:11 (960) – ldc is shorter than bipush or iconst_*.
• 2011-02-07 02:30 (952) – Who says I need to inherit from java.lang.Object? Other class names are so much shorter :-)