Harper Lin
Code golf is a recreational activity and a type of programming competition where participants attempt to create the shortest possible source code to solve a particular problem. The name is derived from the similarity of its objective with that of the game of golf, where players aim for the lowest score, represented by the fewest number of strokes. In code golf, the goal is to minimise the number of characters or keystrokes in the code while still producing the desired output. This often results in creative and interesting code, although it may sacrifice readability and performance. Code golf has led to the development of specialised golfing languages, such as GolfScript, Flogscript, and Vyxal, which are designed to facilitate concise expressions of ideas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | Recreational computer programming competition |
| Objective | Achieve the shortest possible source code that solves a problem |
| Scoring | Lowest possible score |
| Languages | Perl, GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, Vyxal, 05AB1E, Husk, Pyth, CJam, Jelly, etc. |
| Trade-offs | Readability and practicality are sacrificed for brevity |
| Techniques | Shorten variable names, replace if statements, remove error handling and whitespace |
| Challenges | Monitoring when to extract repeated constants, functions, or strings into helper variables |
| Sites | Code Golf, Anarchy Golf, Code Golf Stack Exchange |
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What You'll Learn
Code Golfing languages
Code golf is a type of recreational computer programming competition where participants aim to create the shortest possible source code to solve a specific problem. The term "code golf" is derived from conventional golf, where players aim for the lowest score, analogous to how code golfers strive to minimise the number of characters or keystrokes in their programs.
While code golf challenges can be designed for any programming language, certain languages are more popular for code golfing. These include GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal, which are Turing-complete languages that facilitate concise expression of ideas. Other commonly used languages include 05AB1E, Husk, Pyth, CJam, and Jelly. These golfing languages prioritise brevity, often at the expense of readability, which is crucial for practical production environments.
Some languages, like Java, are not well-suited for code golfing due to their verbose nature. For instance, displaying "Hello World!" in Java requires over 80 characters. In contrast, languages such as J, K/Kona, Q, and Nial are more conducive to code golfing as they use ASCII characters, making them easier to type.
When golfing code, programmers employ various techniques to reduce the character count. This may involve shortening variable names, replacing if statements with conditional expressions, substituting True with 1 in certain languages, and removing error handling and unnecessary whitespace. While these optimisations enhance brevity, they may sacrifice code robustness, performance, and legibility.
Code golf websites often feature novel golfing languages invented by users to win challenges. Additionally, open questions, which do not mandate a specific programming language, have inspired dialects like REBMU, derived from REBOL. The Code Golf & Coding Challenges (CGCC) StackExchange community offers language-agnostic tips for code golfing, while also providing language-specific tricks to help golfers familiarise themselves with the intricacies of their chosen language.
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Code Golf challenges
Code Golf is a recreational programming competition where participants attempt to solve a problem using the fewest number of characters in their code. The name "code golf" is derived from the similarity of its goal to the game of golf, where participants seek to achieve the lowest score, which in code golf is the fewest keystrokes.
Several programming languages have been specifically created with code golfing in mind, such as GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal. These languages provide constructs for expressing ideas concisely. Other popular languages used in code golf include 05AB1E, Husk, Pyth, CJam, and Jelly.
When participating in code golf challenges, golfers employ various techniques to shorten their code. They may shorten variable names, replace if statements with conditional expressions, remove error handling and unnecessary whitespace, and utilise programming language-specific optimisations. While brevity is a priority, golfed programs must still be correct, and the challenges require an objective scoring criterion.
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Code Golf sites
Code golf is a recreational programming competition where participants compete to create the shortest possible source code to solve a particular problem. The name is derived from the similarity of its objective with that of the game of golf, where players aim for the lowest score, represented in code golf by the fewest number of characters in a program.
There are several websites dedicated to code golf, where enthusiasts can test their skills. These sites often feature a range of programming languages, including dedicated golfing languages such as GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal. Some popular code golf sites include:
Code Golf Stack Exchange
This site is a Q&A platform for programming puzzle enthusiasts and code golfers. It encourages users to connect, share knowledge, and compete in challenges with objective scoring criteria. It also offers a Sandbox mode for users to practice and improve their skills.
Code Golf Meta Stack Exchange
This site provides tips and guidance for those new to code golf. It recommends starting with golfing tips in a familiar language before advancing to dedicated golfing languages. It also emphasizes the importance of analyzing other users' code to learn new tricks and improve your own submissions.
Reddit's r/codegolf
This subreddit is dedicated to code golf challenges, emphasizing the creation of the shortest possible code. It features various discussions and competitions, such as the iterated prisoner's dilemma tournament, where participants must create programs within a character limit and analyze their opponents' source code.
Jugly.io
Jugly.io is a minimalist JavaScript code golfing platform described as a place where "simplicity meets challenge." It was created by a user specifically for JavaScript code golfing enthusiasts to craft the shortest and least elegant code possible.
These sites provide a community for code golfers to connect, compete, and showcase their skills in creating concise and efficient source code. They offer a range of challenges, discussions, and resources to improve one's abilities in code golf and programming in general.
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Code Golf problems
Code Golf is a recreational activity and a type of programming competition where participants attempt to create the shortest possible source code to solve a given problem. The name "code golf" comes from the similarity of its objective to the game of golf, where players aim for the lowest score, represented by the fewest number of strokes. In code golf, the goal is to minimise the number of characters or keystrokes in the code, akin to reducing the number of strokes in golf.
Some popular code golf languages include GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal, which are Turing-complete languages designed specifically for code golfing. These languages provide constructs that facilitate concise code expressions. Additionally, there are also user-created golfing languages on code golf websites, such as 05AB1E, Husk, Pyth, CJam, and Jelly.
When approaching a code golf problem, participants might employ various strategies. They may start by identifying repeated constants, functions, or strings that can be replaced with shorter alternatives. For example, in Python, replacing multiple print statements with a single variable can save bytes. Another approach is to remove unnecessary whitespace and error handling to shorten the code. Participants might also use conditional expressions instead of if statements and replace words with shorter alternatives, such as using "1" instead of "True" in Python.
Code golf challenges can vary in their structure and rules. Some platforms, like Anarchy Golf, embrace a more lighthearted approach, welcoming joke problems and allowing discussion of spoilers. They may have specific input and output expectations, such as reading from standard input and outputting to standard output. Additionally, the number of test cases can influence the nature of the solutions, with a limited number of test cases sometimes encouraging solutions that exploit the exact test cases or even ignore the inputs.
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Code Golf scoring
Code golf is a recreational computer programming competition in which participants compete to create the shortest possible source code to solve a particular problem. The name "code golf" is derived from the fact that, like in a game of golf, participants aim for the lowest possible score—in this case, the fewest number of characters in their code.
The length of the shortest possible program that produces a given output is known as the Kolmogorov complexity of the output. The goal of code golf is to reduce the number of characters or keystrokes needed to write a program. This competitive programming format provides an opportunity to learn something new about a language that one may already be familiar with.
Code golf challenges and tournaments may be named after the programming language used, such as "Perl golf". Some popular languages for code golf include Python, Perl, Ruby, Bash, 05AB1E, Husk, Pyth, CJam, and Jelly. Python, for instance, is a good language for beginners due to its popularity and verbosity compared to other languages.
There are also dedicated golfing languages that have been created specifically for code golfing, such as GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal. These languages are designed for extreme brevity, sacrificing readability, and are often esoteric. To improve their code golf skills, participants can look for unnecessary characters in their code, such as lengthy if statements and for-loops, and try to replace them with shorter alternatives.
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Frequently asked questions
Code golf is a recreational activity or game where participants compete to write the shortest possible code that solves a given problem.
The goal of code golf is to achieve the shortest possible source code, similar to how in conventional golf, participants aim for the lowest possible score.
Some strategies include shortening variable names, replacing if statements with conditional expressions, removing error handling and unnecessary whitespace, and using golfing languages designed for brevity, such as GolfScript, Flogscript, Stuck, and Vyxal.
While code golfing prioritizes brevity, it often sacrifices readability, robustness, and performance. Golfed code can be slow and incomprehensible to other developers, including future versions of yourself.
Popular code golf websites include Anarchy Golf, Code Golf Stack Exchange, and dedicated golfing language communities like GolfScript and Vyxal.
