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 ...
- 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:
...
- 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
- 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 ...
- 196k
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.
- 11.2k
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 ...
- 10.3k
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.
- 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.
- 196k
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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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.
...
- 1,448
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 ...
- 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
- 2,309
32
votes
Accepted
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 ...
- 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 KingMod
- 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 ...
- 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....
- 196k
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.
- 2,697
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible