CR Weekend Challenge

I've used Delphi (and with Delphi comes Pascal basically, same language mostly), PHP, JavaScript, ActionScript, C (not written, but read a lot), C++ (not much, but still), Java... Did I leave anything out? I think that's all (does SQL count?)

In what way is LINQ different from SQL regarding databases?

retailcoder

Oh.. basically take your SQL-mind, and throw it out the window.

Simon André Forsberg

9:06 PM

Oh yeah, a little bit Objective-C too...

lol

retailcoder

LINQify your mind

(you know you've failed if you liquify your mind instead)

Simon André Forsberg

ha

wtf? A total of 757 lines (including comments and whitespace)? How did this happen??

retailcoder

I remember fiddling with TurboPascal some 15 years ago, then with LOGOWriter. Played with BASIC 2.0 on a Commodore-64 (that's what started it all), then QBasic. VB4-5-6, VBA, C#. I can read VB.NET but the language just feels wrong, I'd rather mutilate myself with a paper envelope than write VB.NET code.

@SimonAndréForsberg is that a lot?

Simon André Forsberg

For the reviewer it, I think it is

Although as usual, my code supports some things that others don't

retailcoder

My resolver post will only include the actual resolver, I'll link to the Hello Java World post for the infrastructure stuff.

Simon André Forsberg

9:14 PM

ah, smart thinking

my code has the logic and the structure in the same classes though. Not entirely optimal generally, but this code is specifically written for solving. (One can always refactor later, right?)

retailcoder

9:32 PM

@SimonAndréForsberg as you've noticed, VS isn't very refactor-oriented. I guess you could, but without ReSharper it's a PITA :)

I think VS2012 has it better than 2010 though

Simon André Forsberg

Yeah, I noticed. A lot of things would need to be done manually

Simon André Forsberg

9:47 PM

Well, at least I won't have to split the question in two this time

@retailcoder Do you want me to provide a downloadable .zip for the source to help with the reviewing?

Damn, perhaps I should add this to github...

git isn't my second language though. I find it quite hard.

retailcoder

10:04 PM

@SimonAndréForsberg it's up to you, I don't mind reviewing lots of code in a language I'm familiar with actually :)

You can download TFS Express for VS2012 (works with Express edition too!), fully-integrated support with GitHub!

(like, right-click solution and you get a "Commit solution changes" menu)

Simon André Forsberg

OK then @retailcoder, suit yourself :)

I'll post the code as-is, but can upload a .zip to the web if you would like it

retailcoder

@SimonAndréForsberg ugh. removing the magic numbers is trickier than I anticipated. I don't have magic numbers per se, but SudokuGrid.toString() hard-codes the 9x9 scheme.

Simon André Forsberg

how does that method look like?

retailcoder

	public String toString() {
		final String newLine = System.lineSeparator();
		String result = "+===========+===========+===========+" + newLine;
		for (int row = 0; row < this.digits.length; row++) {
			result = result.concat("|");
			for (int col = 0; col < this.digits[row].length; col++) {
				result = result.concat(" " + this.digits[row][col].toString() + " |");
			}

			if ((row + 1) % REGION_SIZE == 0) {
				result = result.concat(newLine + "+===========+===========+===========+" + newLine);

Simon André Forsberg

aha

retailcoder

10:18 PM

I need the method to be region-aware

Simon André Forsberg

I'll see if I can come up with something there

If not, at least I know something to comment on in the review :)

retailcoder

Your C# draws the grid with whatever digits you give it?

Simon André Forsberg

yeah, I haven't added any other fancy output besides pure numbers

retailcoder

well yeah that makes it quite a bit simpler eh!

Simon André Forsberg

Like this:
1234
4312

indeed it does :)

retailcoder

10:23 PM

in C# I could do var x = new String("=", 20); to get 20x "=". Is there a Java equivalent?

Simon André Forsberg

0

Q: SudokuSharp Solver with advanced features

Even though it's the first time I'm writing something this "big", it feels like I know C# quite good. It's been nice to learn LINQ also and I am very impressed by the features, and perhaps I have overused it here (if it's possible to do that). SudokuFactory: Contains static methods to create so...

I believe there is, but I can't come up with what at the moment

Not as simple as the C# way, but I found this on SO: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2306235/java-repeat-character

char[] exmarks = new char[aantal];
Arrays.fill(exmarks, '!');
String exmarksString = new String(exmarks);

Stack Exchange

1

Q: SudokuSharp Solver with advanced features

Even though it's the first time I'm writing something this "big", it feels like I know C# quite good. It's been nice to learn LINQ also and I am very impressed by the features, and perhaps I have overused it here (if it's possible to do that). SudokuFactory: Contains static methods to create so...

c# linq weekend-challenge sudoku

Simon André Forsberg

@StackExchange ... Don't you ever learn?

2

retailcoder

I don't want to get "corrupted" just yet, I barely skimmed over your code (got a couple observations and suggestions already) - I'll post a review when I get my puzzle solved. And you're freakin' nuts - solving a Sudoku is too easy for Ninja Forsberg, you had to make it solve a Samurai Sudoku!

Simon André Forsberg

Of course I had to :)

Solving a Samurai Sudoku is not much different from solving any other Sudoku. It's just a matter of initializing different rules.

And don't forget the Nonomino! (tasty name by the way)

retailcoder

10:33 PM

Yeah, when your code has the concepts nicely defined :)

Simon André Forsberg

Exactly

retailcoder

Doesn't _maxValue = copy._maxValue; give you an error? _maxValue is private...

(@SimonAndréForsberg SudokuBoard constructor) ^^

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder It's used within the same class. No problem there

Same thing can be done in Java

retailcoder

I... just learned something.

Simon André Forsberg

just because a field is private doesn't mean that other objects can't access it, only other classes

Yay, I knew something about C# that @retailcoder didn't :)

retailcoder

10:40 PM

I thought private meant "only for this instance"

Simon André Forsberg

nope, it's "only for this class"

retailcoder

Hackish though

Simon André Forsberg

Or actually, "private" means "Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group"

Useful though

retailcoder

I'd just expose a get-only property with a private or protected setter.

Accessing another instance's private fields sounds like breaking encapsulation to me.

@SimonAndréForsberg the box method should be called Box.

2

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder Lol, yes yes... I know :)

(Did you read the entire text of the question at the top?) ;)

retailcoder

10:49 PM

@SimonAndréForsberg Yes, that's why I'm saying box should be called Box :)

Simon André Forsberg

:)

retailcoder

Why so much static? My hair is sticking up!

(gotta go, back in < 1 hour)

Simon André Forsberg

Because I didn't need an instance of an object for it. But if you know any reasons for why they should not be static, please tell me!

Gratulations, @StackExchange bot, you're now a meme:

6

A: Call of Duty - We're on a mission

Some "memes"... A few expressions have come up recently, thought I'd share them here (feel free to add, this is CW!) Running out of ammo: when you have exhausted all 40 votes for the day. Head shot: when you're out of ammo and post a target in chat, and then someone puts in a vote for you. Wak...

retailcoder

>>>TESTABILITY<<<

2

(or I'm just allergic to static stuff)

Simon André Forsberg

Testability might actually be a good point

To be able to mock the thing, or extend and override, etc..

I've never used mocking though, but I know that it exists

Simon André Forsberg

11:13 PM

Six questions has been asked so far for this week's Sudoku Challenge, four of them has been answered so far

I've just helped @rolfl to be rep-maxed today as well.

It feels strange to actually have submitted a C# question...

rolfl

11:37 PM

@SimonAndréForsberg - not rep-maxed .... 1 rep short!

199 for the day, and 23 minutes left.

Jamal

I'm going through the unanswered list again, and I found this question (which is also asking about correctness). Is this C#, or some other language?

0

Q: Abstract repository for entity framwork

I write abstract repository using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Data; using System.Data.Entity; using System.Linq; using System.Linq.Expressions; namespace Framework.DataLayer { public class Context<T> : IContext<T> where T : class { private readonly Db...

entity-framework

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