5
\$\begingroup\$

Consider the following the challenge:

Write a program that accomplishes X task while maximizing the number of distinct characters in your source code. Removing any set of characters from the program should cause it to no longer accomplish X (e.g. it could error, halt, or just do something wrong).

Let's say the following answer was posted:

Lenguage, \$A\$ bytes

The first 256 bytes should range from 0x00 to 0xFF. The remaining \$A-256\$ bytes can be anything.

If there exists a Lenguage program that can accomplish X in fewer bytes, then this answer becomes invalid, because one could remove characters from the end of the program to turn it into the shorter one, thus violating the rule that removing characters should stop the program from working.

In cases like this, where the validity of an answer depends on whether there is a golfed version, should it be posted?


By OP: I first asked that since we know Lenguage get a score of 256 even if there is a more golfed solution, should we submit an answer that not sure to satisfy the requirement. Therefore you may need to consider this part.

\$\endgroup\$
11
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ I am unsure what exactly your question is. Are you asking if one should post a valid answer with the same byte count as an invalid answer which was just found to be invalid? \$\endgroup\$ Feb 19, 2019 at 13:26
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ It would possibly also be helpful to mention the specific challenge, as It happened .... \$\endgroup\$ Feb 19, 2019 at 13:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JonathanFrech If it's proved invalid the proof make a more correct answer, and in finite step it reach corret \$\endgroup\$
    – l4m2
    Feb 19, 2019 at 13:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ So are you asking if the proof of invalidity itself constitutes as an answer? If so, I think the answer is yes, however I currently cannot find the meta consensus post. \$\endgroup\$ Feb 19, 2019 at 13:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ Aha! Is your question related to codegolf.meta.stackexchange.com/a/17403/194 and the request that language users put some effort into their answers? \$\endgroup\$ Feb 21, 2019 at 7:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ @PeterTaylor What I met is a code-bowling \$\endgroup\$
    – l4m2
    Feb 21, 2019 at 18:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ I am sorry, but I still do not know what you are asking. Therefore, I am voting to close as unclear. Please try to reword your question to make it more understandable, possibly adding concrete examples to the specific thing you would like to ask about. \$\endgroup\$ Feb 21, 2019 at 23:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ It's hard for Lenguage to participate in a challenge, that's Lenguage's drawback, but why don't you just solve it in BF? \$\endgroup\$
    – DELETE_ME
    Feb 24, 2019 at 13:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ @EsolangingFruit I assume that OP intended to remove substrings rather than subsequences (pristine-programming); however it doesn't matter much in this context. \$\endgroup\$
    – DELETE_ME
    Feb 24, 2019 at 13:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ Regarding the "those bytes are gross" challenge, the tiebreaker is the length and reasonable people will golf it. \$\endgroup\$
    – DELETE_ME
    Feb 24, 2019 at 13:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ Programs can be golfed by subtracting some characters and adding others. This obviously won't work in Lenguage, but it could work in Python. So challenges like this would be allowed. \$\endgroup\$
    – mbomb007
    Feb 24, 2019 at 20:40

1 Answer 1

3
\$\begingroup\$

Do not post an answer unless you know it to be valid

Answers are for providing solutions to the challenge. Do not create an answer unless you know that it provides a solution to the challenge.

That said, if you still think your (possibly invalid) solution might be of interest, you can post it as a comment or attach it to another answer.

\$\endgroup\$

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .