How do I read this software phase lock loop code? - c

Question

In my search for an example of a software phase lock loop I came across the following question
Software Phase Locked Loop example code needed
In the answer by Adam Davis a site is given that is broken and I have tried the new link that is given in a comment but I cant get that to work either.
The answer from Kragen Javier Sitaker gave the following code as a simple example of a software phase locked loop.
main(a,b){for(;;)a+=((b+=16+a/1024)&256?1:-1)*getchar()-a/512,putchar(b);}
Also included in his answer was a link to what should be a much more readable example but this link is also broken. Thus I have been trying to translate the above code into simpler and more readable code.
I have come this far:
main(a,b){
for(;;){
// here I need to break up the code somehow into a if() statement('s).
if(here I get lost){
a = a+1;
if(here i get lost some more){
b = b+1;
}
}
}
Thanks to the SO question What does y -= m < 3 mean?
I know it is possible to break up the a+= and b+= into if statements.
But the (&256? 1 : -1)*getchar()-a/512,putchar(b); part in the code is killing me. I have been looking on Google and on SO to the meaning of the symbols and functions that are used.
I know the & sign indicates an address in memory.
I know that the : sign declares a bit field OR can be used in combination with the ? sign which is a conditional operator. The combination of the two I can use like sirgeorge answer in what does the colon do in c?
Theory Behind getchar() and putchar() Functions
I know that getchar() reads one character
I know that putchar() displays the character
But the combination of all these in the example code is not readable for me and . I can not make it readable for my self even do I know what they all separately do.
So my question: How do I read this software phase lock loop code?
main(a,b){for(;;)a+=((b+=16+a/1024)&256?1:-1)*getchar()-a/512,putchar(b);}

Answer 1

What I get is:
main (a, b)
{
char c;
for (;;)
{
c = getchar();
b = (b + 16 + (a / 1024));
if(!(b & 256))
{
c = c * -1;
}
a = a + c - (a/512);
putchar(b);
}
}
I had to add a c variable to not get lost.
What the program does:
Take a and b.
Infinite loop:
get a char input in c
calculate b
If (b bitwise AND 256)
c = -c
Calculate a
Print b
It seems it translate input into something else, I have to see the code in action to understand better myself.
Hope it helped!
Hint:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operators_in_C_and_C%2B%2B
a+= => a = a +
a?b:c => if(a){return b;} else {return c;} (As a function itself, it don t truly return)
Add parentheses, it help.
a & b is bitwise AND:
a/b |0|1|
0|0|0|
1|0|1|