Basically, this challenge was testing the programmers ability to take data, modify it and output it.

The REAL challenge is being able to take the data both ways. It's one thing to make data unreadable by anyone but a PC, but its another kettle of fish to make it a two-way process!

The reason I have done encryption/compression is it gives scope for different algorithms to be produced.

Marks awarded for:

• Code Efficiency. This means speed/technique, etc
• Security (if encryption). How hard is it to crack (if at all)?
• Compression rate (if compression obviously).
• Maybe readability? The point of these challenges is that people can benifit. This is made inifinately easier if the code is indented/remarked/generally well written.