224 votes

How can we help users who are put off by the use of golfing languages?

Stop upvoting trivial solutions It's easy to imagine why a new user would be frustrated when the highest-voted answer is a 3-byte solution in a golfing language with a built-in that nearly solves the ...
xnor's user avatar
  • 144k
100 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Programs may output by displaying it on screen. This makes it possible to use languages like Vim script that can't print output directly to stdout. Example from this challenge: ...
wefwefa3's user avatar
  • 186
82 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Functions may take multiple arguments via currying For some functional programming languages like Haskell this is actually necessary, because only single-argument functions exist and functions with ...
79 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

The contents of the tape post-execution may be used as a Turing machine's output
SuperJedi224's user avatar
  • 11.9k
59 votes

How can we help users who are put off by the use of golfing languages?

What SE could do for us... One of the most popular suggestions from "We're not a Q&A site, but what should be done about it?" is to add software support for answer metadata (mainly scores and ...
Martin Ender's user avatar
58 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

For stack-based languages, function's input may be pushed to the stack before calling Stack-based languages may assume that the input for their function is automatically pushed to the stack.
Addison Crump's user avatar
51 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Where applicable, Turing machines supporting multiple halt states may also output via their halt state This is essentially equivalent to programs outputting via their exit code.
SuperJedi224's user avatar
  • 11.9k
51 votes
Accepted

Should answers have to handle invalid inputs?

No, invalid inputs may result in undefined behavior Requiring input validation only adds extraneous code to the answer and takes away from the challenge.
Downgoat's user avatar
  • 28.9k
50 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Input for Turing machines may be written to the tape pre-execution The read-write head should start on the leftmost cell of the portion of the tape containing the input.
SuperJedi224's user avatar
  • 11.9k
40 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Programs may take input as the value of the last expression Using something like TI-84 BASIC's Ans, which is a variable that stores the value of the last ...
NinjaBearMonkey's user avatar
39 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Assembly programs may take input from registers If there are no I/O devices available, an answer might consist of a subroutine that reads its input values from the machine registers.
Lynn's user avatar
  • 68.1k
36 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Functions in stack-based languages can leave the output on the stack Mostly for completeness sake. This is the de-facto standard for CJam and GolfScript and probably other stack-based languages.
Martin Ender's user avatar
36 votes
Accepted

Are newbies allowed to write programs in golf languages?

Let's just put it this way — where do experienced golfing language users come from? They certainly don't just fall out of the sky, and must have started somewhere, right? Without the practice and ...
Sp3000's user avatar
  • 61.7k
36 votes

Golfing Class of a language

Elo ratings, treating pairs of submissions as games. I'm using the Elo system here. Essentially, the solution is find the best solutions in each language to each challenge, and then treat each pair of ...
isaacg's user avatar
  • 42k
35 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Assembly programs may write output to some specified memory location If there are no I/O devices available, an answer might consist of a subroutine that writes its output values to some specified ...
Lynn's user avatar
  • 68.1k
35 votes

How can we help users who are put off by the use of golfing languages?

As someone who doesn't use golfing languages, I can sympathise to a degree with the users left burnt by golfing langs. You spend time solving a problem in a popular language, post your solution, and ...
Quill's user avatar
  • 575
35 votes
Accepted

How does this site work?

What does "Code Golf" mean? Code golf, (Or Codegolf) as the name suggests, is the art of making programs that are as short as possible that complete a task. What is "Code Golf & Coding ...
ATaco's user avatar
  • 10.7k
33 votes

Advocate languages to golf in

Java Java may be verbose, but don't we golfers come to PPCG to have a challenge? Don't we come here to do what was thought to be impossible? We golf not because it is easy, but because it is hard. ...
noɥʇʎԀʎzɐɹƆ's user avatar
33 votes

How can we help users who are put off by the use of golfing languages?

Stop accepting trivial solutions Note: As of September 2021, accepted answers aren't pinned to the top anymore. Don't give the green checkmark to the shortest solution when it's shortest by being in ...
xnor's user avatar
  • 144k
32 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

In languages without any method of input (e.g. ///) programs may get input through an insertion into the source code
boboquack's user avatar
  • 2,309
32 votes
Accepted

How should vim answers be scored?

vim answers can be run from the command line as such: ...
Doorknob's user avatar
  • 71.4k
31 votes

Can serious contenders do more than the challenge asks for?

Serious contenders do not contain superfluous code I propose the following: If a part or multiple parts of the code can be deleted without affecting its functionality with regard to the challenge ...
Dennis's user avatar
  • 210k
30 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Submissions may use list of strings instead of multi-line strings Input or output may be the equivalent of the string separated by newlines. For example, the multiline string: ...
Jo King's user avatar
  • 47.1k
29 votes

Default for Code Golf: Input/Output methods

Assembly programs may read input from some specified memory location If there are no I/O devices available, an answer might consist of a subroutine that reads its input values from some specified ...
Lynn's user avatar
  • 68.1k
29 votes

Advocate languages to golf in

Retina Before we start: if you hate regex with a passion, you can stop reading here. You're not getting around using regex when coding in Retina. That said, you don't need to be a regex expert either....
Martin Ender's user avatar
29 votes

How can we help users who are put off by the use of golfing languages?

De-emphasize code-golf And concentrate on other challenges, tricks and hacks with the code where golfing languages are less advantaged. Make PPCG more about Programming Puzzles than about Code Golf.
Vi.'s user avatar
  • 2,697

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible