2023's Online 'Advent Calendars' Challenge Programmers With Tips and Puzzles 8
It's a geek tradition that started online back in 2000. Programming language "advent calendars" offer daily tips about a programming language (if not a Christmas-themed programming puzzle) -- one a day through December 25th.
And 2023 finds a wide variety of fun sites to choose from:
And 2023 finds a wide variety of fun sites to choose from:
- For example, there's 24 coding challenges at the Advent of JavaScript site (where "each challenge includes all the HTML and CSS you need to get started, allowing you to focus on the JavaScript.") And there's another 24 coding challenges on a related site... Advent of CSS.
- The cyber security training platform "TryHackMe.com" even coded up a site they call "Advent of Cyber," daring puzzle-solvers to "kickstart your cyber security career by engaging in a new, beginner-friendly exercise every day leading up to Christmas!"
- The programming puzzles at Advent of Code are continuing through the 25th (though so far less than 30,000 people have solved both parts of Saturday's challenge.)
- Every year since 2000 there's also been a new edition of the Perl Advent Calendar, and this month Year 23 started off with goodies from Perl's massive module repository, CPAN. (Specifically its elf-themed story references the Music::MelodicDevice::Ornamentation module) -- along with the MIDI::Util library and TiMidity++, a software synthesizer that can play MIDI files without a hardware synthesizer.)
- Meanwhile, since 2009 there's also been an advent calendar for Raku (the programming language formerly known as Perl 6), promising an article a day. (Day One's entry was titled "Rocking Raku Meets Stodgy Debian...")
- James Bennett, from the Django project's core team, is even attempting a Python/Django Advent calendar.
- There's also a JVM advent calendar for the Java Virtual Machine, plus another advent calendar promising daily posts about C#.
- The HTMHell site — which bills itself as "a collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites" — is celebrating the season with the "HTMHell Advent Calendar," promising daily articles on security, accessibility, UX, and performance.
Ah, very timely, now that Advent is half over... (Score:4, Insightful)
It's nice to have the reminder, but seriously: a bit more timeliness would be nice?
AdventOfCode: I found yesterday's puzzle surprisingly difficult: You can't just use a normal search algorithm, because of his weird constraints on the path...
Re:Ah, very timely, now that Advent is half over.. (Score:4, Funny)
By /. standards it's a week early. Stories about astronomical ephemerides are always posted after the event to maximise their uselessness: why should Advent get different treatment?
Advent of CSS? (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't it challenging enough to work with CSS in the first place? Advent of CSS seems more like the title of a form of punishment.
not supposed to be challenging (Score:4, Interesting)
Advent calendars are not supposed to be challenging, just surprising. Why does everything for programmers always have to be a challenge or puzzle? Maybe I just want to open the little door and eat the chocolate.
No programming — formatting (Score:2)
Only python and C# are programming. Watering down tech while pumping up the skills is driving ComSci out of university into trade schools - which slashdot is reinforcing.
May AI and ChatGPT generative LLM’s to separate formatting drudgery so computer science can advance instead of skills.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
You're really living up to your username.
Re: (Score:1)
LOL U funny.
Dont' forget Perl (Score:2)