Questions tagged [discussion]
The question you're asking is designed to solicit opinions or best-practices on a particular topic, with the goal of reaching community consensus.
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You have reached your question limit
What? Have a question similar to Home on the Range of Lists.
Why cannot this user ask the question?
Does that mean that even if the question is posted at Sandbox and well-received that the question ...
12
votes
0answers
204 views
2018: a year in moderation
It's New Year's Day in Stack Exchange land...
A distinguishing characteristic of these sites is how they are moderated:
We designed the Stack Exchange network engine to be mostly self-regulating, ...
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votes
1answer
62 views
Change the use of the “Game” tag?
I was scrolling through the posts tagged with "Game" and noticed that it involved quite a few code golf competitions. Just for the sake of clarity and ease while searching, I believe that the ...
4
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1answer
238 views
Does linter golf require a specific interpreter to be a valid answer for golf?
If someone answers a code-golf challenge in, for example, JavaScript, and as an additional challenge restricts to only code that is approved by http://www.jslint.com/ that answer is valid if an ...
1
vote
2answers
140 views
If we find a programming language in the Library of Babel, can we use it?
The Library of Babel is a huge library with many books. For example, the book titled ",fkwpival.vbfz" defines code golf on page 29
code golf is a type of recreational computer programming ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
I asked a word question that has run away with me?
Easiest WordSearch
I've asked a crossword related question thats been on my mind for quite a while. I've made various edits from suggestions in the comments. I don't think I can adjust the question ...
7
votes
3answers
271 views
What should we do when a language cannot answer a given challenge?
Many challenges, mainly restricted-source, are impossible in some languages. Find an Illegal String is a good example—many languages without syntax errors, such as brainfuck (deleted answer), ...
22
votes
2answers
317 views
Is it permitted for a submission to terminate merely with probability 1?
The question is in the title. I'm interested in submissions that terminate with probability 1 but have unbounded worst case running times.
This is related to the question Do programs have to ...
8
votes
1answer
189 views
Post other people's code?
Some people are very good code golfers but for their own reasons do not want to join PPCG. Is it acceptable to post their solutions as answers to challenges?
If at all acceptable, I would personally ...
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1answer
98 views
Can we use theoretically-impossible functions?
Title may be hard to understand, so an example:
If a language claim to have a busy beaver function BB:unsigned int -> double, and works fine(always return ...
-7
votes
1answer
63 views
kolmogorov-complexity is not as a mathematics problem, score has to be inferior [closed]
kolmogorov-complexity problems are not like mathematics problems
The way of see generate from the set of problems tag as kolmogorov-complexity is anti programming... one algorithm in mathematics (...
0
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3answers
90 views
Are infinite score allowed by default for “lowest score win”?
Are submissions acceptable if their worst case score is unbounded?
I think it worth a default exist
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1answer
122 views
Kindly explain why it is not impossible to read the minds of users who voted to close a question citing “unclear what you're asking”
The users who voted to close this question Fastest algorithm to output array containing all integers in range excluding duplicate digits have left no clarification as to what is not clear to them at ...
0
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1answer
66 views
It seems the consensus on Scratch is to use scratchblocks2 syntax, but what about “when green flag clicked”?
In many code-golf Scratch submissions, I see when green flag clicked used, when when gf clicked is also valid in scratchblocks2. ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views
Need contributions to my new Programming Language
My name is Eduardo and I'm a Computer Science student from Brazil, finishing college by the end of this year. My undergraduate thesis is about the programming language JAEL that I'm developing for ...
10
votes
3answers
286 views
What should we do to avoid programming help questions?
A common mistake new users seem to make is posting questions (like this) asking about general programming help which are better suited in StackOverflow. While these questions are being closed, I don't ...
6
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1answer
186 views
Do we want to allow [tag:language-identification] questions?
Today we had a question that ask users to identify the language used. We've had one in the past as well. We've never discussed these kinds of questions as far as I can tell, so let me:
Do we want ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
How to score MathNode? [duplicate]
MathNode is a graphical language made by myself with an interpreter currently not publicized, so I'm asking this ahead of time. In MathNode, surprise surprise! You have nodes. These nodes can be ...
1
vote
2answers
92 views
Golfed script length with Unicode (non-ASCII) characters
There are tasks explicitly defined with Unicode. For example, Supreme Sum String
To correctly work with a unicode data, a script should be saved as UTF-16 or ...
21
votes
2answers
424 views
Should we start “reviving” older challenges?
Related.
Earlier today, AdmBorkBork posted this question on TNB, asking whether or not PPCG was dying. In the following discussion, I have suggested we, as a community, could start "reviving" (for ...
0
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1answer
113 views
How to make question clear to users who voted to close without providing feedback as to what is not clear to them?
This question Permutations to the nines is "on hold" listing the reason as "unclear what you're asking".
Asked the first two users listed as voting to close what part of the question is not clear to ...
6
votes
1answer
112 views
Can we expect out arguments to be allocated?
According to this consensus in the default allowed inputs thread, functions may output by writing to an out argument.
When outputting an array in languages like C/C++, where arrays are pointers to ...
8
votes
0answers
112 views
Is Language of the Month dead?
The Languge of the Month series(?) started in March of this year, for the purpose of "to get more exposure for less-frequently used languages". Until August it seemed to be doing fine enough, though I ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Do I need to add code that escapes the control of the regexp symbols?
For example, String subtraction
There are answers with a regexp. And there are answers without regexp.
But answers with regexp works incorrect when strings contains the regexp control symbols. Yes, ...
0
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1answer
51 views
Judging the score of physically constructed electronic logic
How would physically constructed logic be scored? Say, for example, a mixture of resistors, diodes, wires, and 74xx/4000 type ICs.
Handmade logic fits the "programming language" criteria, as using ...
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1answer
110 views
Does a downvote to a view on meta mean disagreement?
If so, when all votes are down we can know what they are against
3
votes
1answer
176 views
Do we have Programming Puzzles where the CodeGolf'ing is not the criteria and actually disallowed?
When I searched with -[code-golf] i did not get interesting results.
I am looking for the questions (and as popular as CodeGolf questions) that disallow or not require the Code to be golfed to Bytes. ...
7
votes
2answers
421 views
Interpreter flags for controlling output: considered cheating?
I'm creating a programming language aimed at code golf puzzles. The language has an internal set of tapes, where the computations are saved and then retrieved to the user.
At the end of the program, ...
3
votes
1answer
101 views
Asking for help on StackOverflow
I have the shortest answer in my language on a particular challenge at PPCG@StackExchange. I am struggling with a particular part of a program and I want some help. Is it appropriate/allowed/okay to ...
26
votes
1answer
374 views
Offering a bounty in exchange for upvotes
I saw this challenge which makes the following offer:
Note: A bounty will be placed on this question once it gets 10 upvotes
Although we discourage begging for upvotes, excessive self promotion, ...
7
votes
2answers
307 views
King-Of-The-Hill but fully cooperative?
So, I've seen this question, but I feel like mine is different enough to warrant a new post because I have a specific victory objective that I can use to satisfy the winning criterion requirement. ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
Can I use CBMC (a static verification tool for C) for code-golf?
So with the recent maze challenge I had the idea to implement a solution using CBMC (home / source), which is a tool that statically verifies C code and can produce counter-examples for property ...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
Should we upvote/accept unclear answer on meta? [closed]
Currently some answers to (meta questions asking whether something is allowed) stands on both side, and some are highly voted and accepted because people standing on both side think it on his/her own ...
8
votes
2answers
315 views
So what happens now?
Martin Ender is stepping down as moderator.
We had a moderator election only about half a year ago. There were three candidates, of which two were elected. The last candidate was PhiNotPi.
Do we ...
68
votes
4answers
1k views
Farewell, for now
With my dwindling activity over the last few months, this probably doesn't come as a surprise... but I've decided to hand in my diamond. My reasons are similar to Alex's, half a year ago, in that ...
9
votes
1answer
247 views
A simple, clean and modern challenge about palindromes
Status quo
We currently have seventy-four questions tagged palindrome, but most of them contain a twist. As I see it, there are only two challenges about the basic palindrome string decision-problem.
...
26
votes
1answer
359 views
The view from a newcomer (or an unwary traveller)
I had a small programming problem,
Checking a file contains only null bytes. Having
chanced on PPCG a few days before, I thought this could be an
interesting place to see various ways someone might go ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Can I use Power Query “M” Language - and what should it be called?
I enjoy using Power Query "M" language (Microsoft Reference)
Is this language permitted - and in cases where the language name is to be used, should this be referred to as ...
11
votes
1answer
301 views
Should competitors be able to run games for KoTHs?
In this question, every "game" takes about 5 seconds. Ten thousand runs, maybe eight thousand, are planned. Running these on a single computer would take forever, so I suggested letting competitors ...
1
vote
0answers
89 views
Answer a question using another question's answer is correct?
In short, I've answered this KotH challenge using the same answer in this other question.
This is my answer. It is not entirely copy past since I have to change ...
26
votes
24answers
4k views
New “stock theme” roll out
We are rolling out the new "stock theme" to the Stack Exchange network. You all are the lucky first site to get the new theme. It is now live.
What new theme?
If you're like, "What the heck are you ...
12
votes
1answer
442 views
Language of the Month for August 2018: Self-modifying Brainfuck
In accordance with our meta agreement to have a Language of the Month, and since the list of nominations had a single highest-voted entry at the beginning of August, we have a new featured language! ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
When the input is a list and the language doesn't support that: what to do?
I'll use this challenge as an example. It says "Input will be a list of [...]" and I would like to code that challenge in Lua.
The problem here is, Lua doesn't accept lists as input, only strings (...
1
vote
2answers
142 views
Include characters or just bytes?
I'm using javascript as a golfing language. I've just noticed that the number of characters used in a program may differ from the number of bytes that program takes (due to text encoding?). For ...
2
votes
4answers
172 views
Is it possible for a challenge to have hidden scoring test-cases?
Assume that the method of generating the hidden test-cases is known. (for example: a list of 5000 uniformly random integers in range [1..1000])
Reasons why hidden test cases should be allowed (that I ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
Can we assume typed inputs? [duplicate]
For some languages with a static type system the compiler is able to infer the types, however sometimes there's ambiguity (even with input) unless the user gives the type manually:
Motivation 1: ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
Is a slightly changed compiler allowed? [duplicate]
Some maybe not-intended-to-program languages may have some extra limitations. Is it allowed to change it to solve a problem? If so, how the length go?
p.s. marking this topic as duplicate of this ...
7
votes
3answers
207 views
Comments in lambda submissions
In compiled non-esoteric languages a solution is essentially always either a full program, a method, or a lambda expression. In a full program submission, the use of comments is clearly allowed. It's ...
13
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1answer
235 views
Is “Proof-Golf for proofs in general” on-topic?
I recently submitted a challenge proposal on the Sandbox, which is a kind of proof-golf.
Here is the background section copied from the proposal:
Compass-and-straightedge
construction,
a.k.a. ...
7
votes
1answer
206 views
What is the consensus on built ins?
Originally on this challenge I banned built in matrix functions but people complained about it. I then removed the ban but there were few interesting answers given and some people complained and said ...
