CR Weekend Challenge

rolfl

12:04 AM

You are all useless!

Jamal

Who cares! Winter Bash has begun! :D

retailcoder

*begun @Jamal

rolfl

So it has .... does my hat fit me?

if Ihave multi
lines
here?

Jamal

Looks okay. Mine, on the other hand, looks a bit too big. Oh well.

rolfl

What if I post my profile here:

rolfl, Canada

4.6k 4 40

retailcoder

12:09 AM

@sim open up extensions manager, and check out Moq; enjoy.

rolfl

Hmmm... how is it I have a Hat, but no-one else?

Ahh, there's Jamal's/

Jamal

Meta post updated:

8

Q: Should we sign up for Winter Bash 2013?

Is Winter Bash happening in Code Review? Many beta sites are going to participate in Winter Bash (AV.SE and Movies.SE site's moderators are receiving email from Stack Exchange). Have any of CR's moderators received such email? In my opinion, participating in such events may help us graduate. L...

discussion status-completed winterbash fun

retailcoder

12:29 AM

^^ where's the Like button!!!!

@Jamal what's that hat you've got here?

Jamal

Mod-only hat. :-)

Simon André Forsberg

@rolfl You downvoted something? It said 200 when I last looked

@Jamal yeah, that's C#

Jamal

@SimonAndréForsberg: Okay. It can be retagged, then.

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder moq? What's that?

rolfl

@SimonAndréForsberg - I downvoted much earlier in the day.... boy do I regret that now ... ;-)

Simon André Forsberg

12:37 AM

@rolfl Suit yourself :)

rolfl

(it's actually really nagging at me... to miss by 1 ... sucks).

retailcoder

I got a running bounty on one of last week's weekend-challenge posts (unanswered ruby). Hat in sight! :)

Simon André Forsberg

So, I also got a hat. Post or vote on Dec 5th. That wasn't a hard one. Now, where's the rest?

2

@rolfl Think before you vote next time. Although if I wouldn't have upvoted you and accepted an answer, you would only have been at 176. Would that have been better?

retailcoder

@rolfl likelihood of rep-capping by Jan.4: 99.98%

@sim a mocking framework. M-A-G-I-C !!

Jamal

There's also one for helping to close or delete a question. Pretty easy.

Simon André Forsberg

12:39 AM

Good, @retailcoder. That question has also been bugging me. Seems like we have too few Rubyers around here, or the code is simply too good.

rolfl

@SimonAndréForsberg - I'm not feeling nearly as peeved as you make it sound ... ;) and I have been out mot of the afternoon, and still catching up on things ...

Simon André Forsberg

OK, now I've put on my hat also.
Does
it
show?

Where's my hat!?

Jamal

They don't show up on chat, it seems.

Simon André Forsberg

Hahaha! I just got another one, I gotta switch!

rolfl

Not in here, only really on the main site.....

Jamal

12:42 AM

For the complete list of hats (and other info), consult the updated Meta post.

rolfl

Your hat's not yet showing!

I can see what hats you've been awarded, but you are not wearing any og them.

Simon André Forsberg

I can see all the hats you're wearing

It's only a matter of time before @Jamal will get the "A Link to the past" hat, which I am currently wearing

Jamal

Super easy.

I'm still going through unanswered questions, too.

rolfl

@SimonAndréForsberg - there's your hat, now you just need to move your head.

Simon André Forsberg

haha

noo, I'll let the soap-bubbles wear my hat instead

Jamal

12:54 AM

You earned A Link to the Past on Code Review!

rolfl

That's soap bubbles .... Ahhh ... after all this time .. I just thought it was the lid for a water-bottle while you hiked through some pretty mountains

Simon André Forsberg

lol

nope, it's soap-bubbles. I'm a soap-bubble addict

And in fact, those mountains aren't as big as they look, it's in the city where I live :)

Hello and Welcome, @Ethan

(I obviously need a new picture, with bigger bubbles...)

Ethan

Hey what's up

lol I only have two pictures of myself, one when I was 15 years old and the other I used to register for the SAT

rolfl

@Ethan - why is it no-one asks after where I was when my mug-shot was taken?

Baah... I am making mistakes! Killing me!

Simon André Forsberg

@rolfl Where were you?

Ethan

1:03 AM

what did you do

rolfl

@SimonAndréForsberg - behind the camera ... ;-)

Simon André Forsberg

And that folks, was @rolfl joke of the day.

3

rolfl

@Ethan - I am working on a 'big' computer, and I stopped a big job, changed some Java jars, started it up, ran a long process, and then discovered I had not copied the right jars.

@SimonAndréForsberg - Kruger national Park, South Africa... that was in 2008...

Simon André Forsberg

@Ethan Are you going to post a solution for the weekend challenge?

And that folks, was @rolfl's seriousness for the day. Enjoy it while it lasts.

rolfl

heh, I have put my serious hat on now .... ;-)

retailcoder

1:07 AM

I suggest next week's challenge is... something that can actually be completed within a couple of hours.

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder I agree!

retailcoder

We should have gone for Sink-a-Ship.

rolfl

Next week's challenge.... watch 'Dances with Wolves'... oh, habg on, Watch 'The Hobbit'.... ahh, wait... watch Titanic.... naahhh, Let's watch Saving Private Ryan ... nope. It's let's watch ROBOCOP!!!!!

Simon André Forsberg

Although I might try C++ next time, that will probably not take a couple of hours for me... Especially since... well... you know... It's me we're talking about. Not known for sticking to the basics, am I?

Ethan

@SimonAndréForsberg I haven't been able to do much in weeks. I also usually work with a friend, anyway we are both working on college apps right now

rolfl

1:08 AM

@SimonAndréForsberg - I don't know how you did it, but that C# first-timer is amazing.

retailcoder

^^ me agrees

rolfl

I expect at least as good from a C++ one.

Simon André Forsberg

@Ethan Android? iOS? Anything else?

Ethan

@SimonAndréForsberg not those apps

College applications

lol

Simon André Forsberg

oh, lol

too bad, Android apps would have been more fun ^^

Thanks, @rolfl.

rolfl

1:10 AM

Thank God I'm as old as I am ... my college app was "fill in this form ...".

retailcoder

So far the most annoying thing with Java has been uppercasing the "S" of string.

Jamal

Hello, @Ethan!

Ethan

hey

retailcoder

@Ethan newcomer?

Welcome!

rolfl

@retailcoder in eclipse, I type "String" as "stringCtrl-Space".

Ethan

1:11 AM

yes, procrastinating

retailcoder

@rolfl in VS, I type "string" as "string".

rolfl

You've ocome to the right place then.

retailcoder

lol

2

rolfl

@retailcoder - in eclipse I type "public static void main(String[] args) { ...}" as "mainCtrl-SpaceEnter"

retailcoder

@rolfl in VS I type public static void Main(string[] args) { ... } as "File > New Project - done"

Simon André Forsberg

1:13 AM

@retailcoder I take that as a good sign.

retailcoder

The only thing that really sux is the LACK OF LINQ

Simon André Forsberg

@rolfl I type String as strCtrl-Space

rolfl

have stars, abuse stars!

2

retailcoder

Stars = candy. It's Halloween, trick-or-treat :)

Simon André Forsberg

Too bad the day has only begun though, we might not have any for tomorrow!

Where's @Malachi, speaking of stars?

rolfl

1:15 AM

There's something about stars and hats .... hang on!

Simon André Forsberg

Beware people: I feel an incoming @rolfl pun.

retailcoder

@SimonAndréForsberg you feel it too?

rolfl

No, really, Chatty-Chatty, I just got it ...;p

retailcoder

I NEED THAT HAT!!

rolfl

Chatty Chatty

post 10 messages in chat with at least two of them starred

retailcoder

1:16 AM

(meh. too easy)

rolfl

@retailcoder - there, I'm wearing it .... check out my profile.

Simon André Forsberg

Hmmm.... I guess I probably already have that one but not seen it yet

retailcoder

@rolfl me too!

rolfl

Now we can look like pussies together ... ;-)

2

Simon André Forsberg

@rolfl You can actually move your hat

What's this?
Johnny Three-hats
this is a secret hat

retailcoder

1:19 AM

WTH

How??

Simon André Forsberg

No idea

All I know is that it's a secret hat

rolfl

I figured out the move-your-hat thing...

In your profile, you have the 'frosty' icon, listing your hats.

click the icon, and move your hat.

retailcoder

A monkey with a cat's hat is weird, @rolfl, no matter where you move-your-hat.

rolfl

I like my judgement hat....

Serious monkey business!

Simon André Forsberg

Oh, did @retailcoder want to know how to move the hat? I thought you wanted to know about the Johnny three-hats hat

retailcoder

1:23 AM

@SimonAndréForsberg bah, don't spoil it (Johnny Three-Hats), I'll get the hats I get :)

Simon André Forsberg

I don't even know how I got it!!

rolfl

I can;t see the Johnny-three-hats at all.... clueless.

retailcoder

@rolfl is a secret hat. shhhh.

lol that hat actually suits your monkey pretty well @rolfl

2

:)

@SimonAndréForsberg @rolfl can I do myString += "blablabla" to append?

rolfl

Yes.

Bad practice if inside a tight loop.

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder Yes you can, but you might want to use StringBuilder instead

retailcoder

1:29 AM

bah, just trying to get that freakin' grid to display properly!

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder Or perhaps I should have asked: What have you tried?

trying to make it flexible for the board width, @retailcoder?

retailcoder

RE: What have you tried = Google => StackOverflow => found answer => confirmed with buddies in CR Chat :)

indeed!

StringUtils cannot be resolved. FML.

rolfl

StringBuilder ?

Simon André Forsberg

StringUtils is a class from Apache Commons I believe

retailcoder

result += StringUtils.repeat(doubleGridLine, REGION_SIZE); would be awesome...

Simon André Forsberg

1:35 AM

@retailcoder commons.apache.org/proper/commons-lang/download_lang.cgi

In Eclipse: Right click project -> Properties -> Build Path -> Libraries -> Add External Jar

find the .jar you downloaded and add it

retailcoder

yeah.. what's the "vanilla" way of doing that again?

Simon André Forsberg

(Dare I ask how you would do this in Visual Studio?)

retailcoder

result += new String(doubleGridLine, REGION_SIZE);

Simon André Forsberg

3 hours ago, by Simon André Forsberg

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);

retailcoder

this is where java takes a serious beating IMO.

Simon André Forsberg

1:38 AM

I mean: How you would "Add External Jar" in Visual Studio

rolfl

@SimonAndréForsberg - first yu buy a license ...

retailcoder

Solution Explorer -> Add Reference...

lol

Right-click project and add reference, that's all there is.

Simon André Forsberg

Doesn't sound too complicated

retailcoder

But 90% of the time all you need is already in the code libraries.

Simon André Forsberg

Ha! Not when 90% of the time code I need is already in another project I've written

retailcoder

1:40 AM

Like you add a reference to EntityFramework.dll and then you can put using System.Data.Entities

Then it's even simpler!

Simon André Forsberg

haha

alright, I'll have to sleep now. Damn timezones. Tomorrow I'll be back in Eclipse doing some Android development for a game project I'm working on.

retailcoder

Thanks @Simon (and @rolfl), I'll probably post a Java Sudoku solver at some point this year.

Simon André Forsberg

@retailcoder Looking forward to it :) Take one step at a time

Night folks

retailcoder

@rolfl does that make sense?

private String repeat(String toRepeat, int repetitions) {
StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
for (int i = 0; i < repetitions; i++) {
builder.append(toRepeat);
}
return builder.toString();
}

rolfl

yes

Since it does not have any internal refernces to other class data, you may want to make it static.

retailcoder

1:49 AM

Yeah I thought so... does Java have static classes?

Yeah does

But it's grayed-out in the wizard

wait, does it?

Ah... much better!

result += StringUtils.repeat(doubleGridLine, REGION_SIZE);

retailcoder

2:26 AM

@rolfl how did you manage to output unicode characters?

rolfl

You have to save the file as unicode, and you have to do a trick with your 'run-as' profile:

When you run your program, you click the 'play' button, right?

retailcoder

yeah

rolfl

Ok, next to the play button is a drop-down arrow, drop it down, choose "Run Configurations".

retailcoder

Run As > (none applicable)

rolfl

Choose your 'run' .... no,......

not Run-As.

retailcoder

2:28 AM

lol I got the dialog

rolfl

In the 'Common' tab (right-most tab of the dialog).

Choose UTF-8 as the console charset.

retailcoder

got it. VS is unicode by default :p

rolfl

OK, no problem... work now?

retailcoder

wait I have to steal your chars...

rolfl

(BTW, that's odd considering Windows is not UTF-8 by default).

retailcoder

2:32 AM

....and now figure out how to use this beautiful character map.

rolfl

Take the other code I posted too... and just pass it an int[][] array ;-)

retailcoder

Nah, I'll try to solve it myself for now :)

Jamal

2:46 AM

We are now at 93% answered.

2

retailcoder

@Jamal amazing!

Jamal

I'm reviewing the entire unanswered list: all 800 or so questions. I'm mainly looking for questions with no clear request/question. Only a few were deleted and a few more didn't include code. Others belonged on Programmers, but are too old to migrate.

retailcoder

Nice! We'll be 95% answered by New Year's!

Jamal

Probably if we keep actively looking for zombies. By the time I'm done (< 5 pages remaining), we may be somewhat close to 94%.

retailcoder

762 unanswered

794 without an upvoted answer

we rock, people. we rock.

4

Jamal

2:52 AM

I can't wait to finish with this. Looking at question after question is boring, but a pretty quick process (except there are hundreds of questions to review).

retailcoder

3:23 AM

@rolfl gave up. adapted your code to work with my SudokuDigit in < 2 minutes.

╔═══╤═══╤═══╦═══╤═══╤═══╦═══╤═══╤═══╗
║   │   │   ║ 8 │ 4 │   ║   │   │ 9 ║
╟───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╢
║   │   │ 1 ║   │   │   ║   │   │ 5 ║
╟───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╢
║ 8 │   │   ║   │ 2 │ 1 ║ 4 │ 6 │   ║
╠═══╪═══╪═══╬═══╪═══╪═══╬═══╪═══╪═══╣
║ 7 │   │ 8 ║   │   │   ║   │ 9 │   ║
╟───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╢
║   │   │   ║   │   │   ║   │   │   ║
╟───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╫───┼───┼───╢
║   │ 5 │   ║   │   │   ║ 3 │   │ 1 ║
╠═══╪═══╪═══╬═══╪═══╪═══╬═══╪═══╪═══╣
║   │ 2 │ 4 ║ 9 │ 1 │   ║   │   │ 7 ║

Looks better in my console

rolfl

yeah, sometimes reuse is better than relearn... there's nothing magic in my code other than it reincarnates unicorns.

2

yeah... ditto about the console effect.

@retailcoder - no matter how much I am told some things, sometimes plain hard-coding works out better.... that grid is one of those times

Sure, coment it with 'here be dragons'.... but, why build something huge to do something so small.

retailcoder

lol

rolfl

have you met the eclippse debugger?

retailcoder

sort of

rolfl

(one of the most underused tools by new-to-Java people....).

Let me help you explore it quickly....

retailcoder

3:26 AM

click that bug icon

rolfl

In the code you copied from me is a method: buildStringForGrid

It has the first line:

final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();

Got it?

retailcoder

yeah got a breakpoint there

I like the breakpoints in VS better

much better

rolfl

OK, now hit the bug icon.... (you have that little blue dot n the left margin?).

retailcoder

lol yeah I'm used to a big flashy red dot.

and red-highlighted line

rolfl

When the program debugs it will ask you to change perspectives ... say OK.

retailcoder

3:29 AM

done that

giggled at "perspective"

rolfl

Now you should be looking at your code with your line highlighted...

you are in debug mode... (you don't have other break-poiints, do you?).

retailcoder

nope

rolfl

In debug mode, you hav a variables 'view'...

Found that?

retailcoder

F8 to go line-by-line, F5 to resume. No, Eclipse's got that reversed!!

rolfl

f6 to step over,

retailcoder

3:31 AM

(actually VS is F10 to step)

rolfl

f5 to step 'into'

retailcoder

k

rolfl

f7 to step to the end of method.

f8 to continue.

you want to use f6, and watch how the db StringBuilder changes.

retailcoder

It's annoying that F8 is step into and F5 is continue in the VB6 IDE I spend my workdays in...

I like how the debugger gives you all locals without having to set up watches

rolfl

Yeah, there are options to get the statics and constants as well... also to show primitives in hex, etc.

@retailcoder - what's really cool, is when debugging, you can 'hover' over variables in your code, and the details will pop up...

retailcoder

3:35 AM

same in VS

rolfl

K, VS has cool things to, I suppose.

retailcoder

I like how tooltips "solidify" in the IDE

^^ not in VS

rolfl

You can normally 'tab' to get the thing to solidify if you want to.

Bot not with this one, it seems.

Sorry, f2, not tab.

retailcoder

F2

Jamal

@rolfl: Your avatar is awesome. :D

2

rolfl

3:39 AM

Yeah, I am pleased to say it's an improvement!

retailcoder

public String toString() {
final String vertical = "|";

/** kudos to the monkey: http://codereview.stackexchange.com/q/37425/23788 */
String result = displayAsString(this.digits);
return result;
}

Jamal

Now you look even more like a nerdy monkey. :-)

retailcoder

Actually more like

	public String toString() {
		// kudos to the monkey: codereview.stackexchange.com/q/37425/23788
		String result = displayAsString(this.digits);
		return result;
	}

rolfl

The double-declare is not necessary ... instead of creating the String result = just return ....

retailcoder

I know, but... right, no but's. You're just.. right again.

rolfl

3:43 AM

Can't help but review.

retailcoder

the idea was that I could break before returning when debugging

^^ and inspect the value to be returned

rolfl

Well, that actually makes sense ... ;-)

retailcoder

Is Java GC'd?

I figured result would die with the returning method call.. does it?

@rolfl skeet ^^

rolfl

Yes it is.... and the compiler will probably remove the intermediate value anyway.

Is C# compiled, BTW?

retailcoder

Sort of. JITted

rolfl

3:46 AM

Or does it stay as 'byte-code'.?

OK, Java is JIT'd as well.

retailcoder

The C# is compiled to CIL, Common Intermediate Language which is common to all .net languages. Then the CIL is jitted by the CLR, Common Language Runtime, which is the framework's runtime. Compiled, but just-in-time.

The C# compiler that Microsoft ships (csc.exe) for free, can be implemented by anyone. Mono builds C# differently than VisualStudio, but I figure they both compile to IL.

/CIL /whatever

a language is essentially a bunch of specs implemented into a bundle, right?

@rolfl in VS when there's a URL in your XML comments, you get a hyperlink.

:p

oh. Ctrl+Click opens it within the IDE!

rolfl

Only if you ask it to be .... otherwise how would you write the documentation for java.net.URL.

retailcoder

watson says: what is a documentation writer?

rolfl

.......... starting watson .... hang on....

retailcoder

lol

rolfl

3:58 AM

getting there .....

Jamal

lol

rolfl

OK, turning ding! off... back to work.

ding! dong! done!

retailcoder

do you ever sleep?

rolfl

occasionally

Jamal

Monkey Sleep, Monkey Do.

rolfl

4:02 AM

@retailcoder - he says "Technical Writer" with 20% confidence

retailcoder

nice!

Jamal

From now until all the hats go away, I'm a cat:

Jamal ♦, Austin, TX

3.1k 3 11 35

c++ best-practice classes optimization clean-code algorithm beginner

Nevermind. It doesn't show up here.

retailcoder

lol. seen me?

retailcoder, Quebec

2.3k 1 5 42

c# vba vb.net clean-code java javascript mvvm

Jamal

I did not copy your idea on purpose! :-(

retailcoder

For me it's either that or a rack of candles!

Jamal

4:05 AM

I wish rolfl could do the same, so he could be a monkeycat.

retailcoder

lol saw that!

Jamal

This is Code Review, not (censored) Review.

2

retailcoder

rename main chatroom to The Doctor's Office?

^^ </sarcasm>

rolfl

I swear, occifer... i aint done nuttin!

(compiling).

Jamal

4:32 AM

Yes! I'm #1 on CR's hat leaderboard! :D

retailcoder

4:53 AM

@Jamal the pokemon battle in python, migrated from SO, Jamalized 45 minutes ago, isn't it off-topic?

Jamal

Codesparkle has just commented, and that's a yes.

retailcoder

how about this one

0

Q: Improve Search query when using LIKE

Is there any way i can improve my mysql select when searching a data? here is my sql query. wp_users has 20k data also wp_usermeta has 800k and wp_bp_xprofile_data has 200k data SELECT usr.display_name DisplayName, Concat(COALESCE(m1.meta_value,' '),' ',COALESCE(m2.meta_value,...

mysql

@Jamal ^^

Jamal

5:24 AM

I suppose that can be as well.

retailcoder

6:01 AM

0

A: SudokuSharp Solver with advanced features

Impressive. I mean it. Couple observations: Your enums... public enum SudokuProgress { FAILED, NO_PROGRESS, PROGRESS } Should be: public enum SudokuProgress { Failed, NoProgress, Progress } When the first thing you see is this: public class SudokuBoard { public SudokuBoard(SudokuBo...

@sim ^^

Simon André Forsberg

12:30 PM

@retailcoder We rock? No, I Spock! Spock vaporizes rock. I win!

Thanks for the (partial) review, @retailcoder

Stack Exchange

5:03 PM

0

Q: Javascript sudoku solver; pencil marks & recursive patience

Here is my attempt to Weekend Challenge #3. Out of scope: It only will do 9*9 It will stop at the first solution Could have been smarter at re-using the cache when recursively calling solveGrid I ignored OO as this is not an app but a simple script In scope: Bitflags & cache for pencil mar...

javascript weekend-challenge sudoku

Transcript for

CR Weekend Challenge