Advent of Code https://adventofcode.com
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2020 - In progress now using Java 11.
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2019 - Started using Python (3.x), but not completed. Need to go back and work on this.
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2018 - Not started. I hope to use Java 11.
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2017 - Not started. I hope to use Python (3.x).
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2016 - Completed using Java 11. Certainly seemed a lot harder solving these puzzles in Java rather than Python 🤔.
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2015 - Completed using Python (3.x). As I hadn't done much Python at the time it was an excellent learning exercise.
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I always add the odd test or two rather first, rather than going straight for the answer, to prove I'm on the right track. These are just simple methods using assert statements rather than completely separate tests (Note: For Java this means turning on asserts in the JVM with -ea).
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Some of my solutions may seem over-engineered for what is required, but I like to try to create generic solution whilst also keeping in mind how I would be implementing these for a production environment.
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In a similar vein, I often prefer to leave complex processing or calculations unrolled rather than cramming everything onto one line. This does go against the idea of making code compact and succinct but I value being able to see the discreet logical steps.
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I try not to pull in additional libraries beyond those of the core language.
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I've probably overused regular expressions for parsing instead of simple string splits.
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For Python I like to use type hints on function parameters and return types to help clarify the intention of the function.
See each year for more comments on the days puzzles.