Learn WHITESPACE with Real Code Examples

Whitespace treats spaces, tabs, and linefeeds as the only valid tokens.

Instructions are encoded by combinations of these invisible characters.

The language uses a stack-based execution model.

All visible characters (letters, numbers, symbols) are treated as comments.

Whitespace programs appear blank to users unless viewed with a special editor.

Space/tab binary instruction encoding

Stack push and arithmetic ops

Flow control and labels

Heap read/write

I/O operations for numbers and characters

Space -> 0, Tab -> 1 in command encoding

Instructions grouped by leading character

Stack operations: push, duplicate, swap, pop

Flow control via labels + jumps

I/O instructions for reading/writing

src/ - actual .ws files

build/ - compiled/interpreted outputs

tools/ - visualization/editing utilities

examples/ - classic Whitespace programs

docs/ - instruction reference sheets

Plan operations using visible pseudocode

Convert steps to Whitespace instructions

Avoid accidental visible characters

Run program in interpreter

Debug by visualizing instruction tokens

Beginner: push values and print output

Intermediate: arithmetic and stack manipulation

Advanced: heap-based memory algorithms

Expert: flow control with labels

Obfuscation: completely invisible logic

Whitespace vs Brainfuck: BF is visible minimalism, Whitespace is invisible minimalism

Whitespace vs Piet: Piet is visual art, Whitespace is invisible code

Whitespace vs Befunge: Befunge is 2D; Whitespace is linear stack-based

Whitespace vs Python: Python is readable; Whitespace intentionally isn't

Whitespace vs Malbolge: Malbolge is hard by rules; Whitespace is hard by invisibility

2003 – Whitespace released (April Fool’s joke)

2005 – First interpreters published

2010s – Visualization tools created

2020s – Popular in esolang communities

2025 – Still used in obfuscation contests

IMP: Instruction Modification Parameter

Stack: core computation storage

Heap: memory key-value map

Label: named jump location

LF: linefeed termination token