'abc' and 'cba'

Question

Your task is simple, write a single code snippet that when executed in one language outputs only the string 'abc' and when executed in another language outputs only the string 'cba'. The program should take no input.

This is a code-golf challenge.

Answer 1

MATLAB / Octave, 41 bytes

disp(flip('abc',size(randsample(2,2),2)))

In MATLAB randsample(2,2) gives a 2×1 vector, so size(...,2) is 1. Thus flip is applied along the first dimension, which is a singleton, so the original string 'abc' is displayed:

In Octave randsample(2,2) gives a 1×2 vector, so size(...,2) is 2. Thus flip is applied along the second dimension, that is, the string is flipped from left to right:

Answer 2

05AB1E / Pyth, 5 bytes

_"abc

Try 05AB1E online!

Try Pyth online!

This also works in Pyke, outputting cba.

This also works in Recursiva, outputting cba.

Answer 3

Whitespace and Bash, 57 bytes

   		    	
 
 	
     	
	    
 	
     	
	   	
echo  cba

Try it online!

Answer 4

25 bytes

print(1/2and'cba'or'abc')

Try it online! (Python 2)

Try it online! (Python 3)

Answer 5

Vim / Notepad.exe, 10 bytes

cbaabc<esc><backspace><backspace><backspace>

Answer 6

-1 byte if I make ==0 into >0 but that's already another answer

Python 2, 26 bytes

print('acbbca'[1/2==0::2])

Try it online!

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Python 3, 26 bytes

print('acbbca'[1/2==0::2])

Try it online!

1/2 gives 0 (floordiv) in Python 2 and 0.5 (truediv) in Python 3. Thus, 1/2==0 gives 1 in Python 3 and 0 in Python 2 (actually, booleans, but those are just integers), so 'acbbca'[1::2] => 'cba' is given for Python 3 and 'acbbca'[0::2] => 'abc' is given for Python 2.

Answer 7

Excel / Google Sheets, _{41 28 27} 24 Bytes

Anonymous worksheet formula that takes no input and outputs "ABC" to the calling cell in Excel and "CBA" to the calling cell in Google Sheets

=IfError(M("CBA"),"ABC")

In Google Sheets, M(...) is an alias for and autoformatted to T(...) (short for Text()). This call returns the text value of the passed variable, "CBA". "CBA" is not caught as an error, so "CBA" is returned by IfError(...,"ABC")

In Excel, there is no M(...) function, and M(...) is not an alias and therefore M("CBA") returns the formula not found error, #NAME?. This is caught by IfError(...,"ABC"), which in turn returns "ABC".

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Previous Versions, 27, 28, 41 Bytes

See edits for explanations

=If(IsErr(A()),"ABC","CBA")

=If(IsErr(GT()),"ABC","CBA")

=IfError(If(Info("NUMFILE"),"ABC"),"CBA")

Answer 8

CJam / 05AB1E, 6 bytes

"abc"R

Try it online:

• CJam;
• 05AB1E.

How it works in CJam

"abc"    Push this string
R        Push variable R, predefined to the empty string
         Implicitly display stack

How it works in 05AB1E

"abc"    Push this string
R        Reverse
         Implicitly display top of the stack

Answer 9

With apologies to @HyperNeutrino for stealing most of his answer (I don't have the reputation to comment yet)

Python 2, 25 bytes

print('acbbca'[1/2>0::2])

Try it online!

Python 3, 25 bytes

print('acbbca'[1/2>0::2])

Try it online!

Answer 10

JavaScript (NodeJS) and PHP, 46 bytes

<!--
strrev=console.log//--><?=
strrev("abc");

Prints abc in JS and cba in PHP.

Try the JS online!

Try the PHP online! (note that TIO doesn't hide the HTML comments (<!--...-->)

Answer 11

Python 2 and Python 3, 42 bytes

try:exec("print'abc'")
except:print('cba')

Try it online! (Python 2)

Try it online! (Python 3)

Thought I'd try something different...

Answer 12

Excel/Google Sheets, 28 bytes

Inspired by @TaylorScott, who used a function that only exists in Excel, I found an even shorter function that only exists in Google Sheets. Conveniently, it is designed to return strings:

=iferror(join(,"cba"),"abc")

How it works

In Google Sheets, join([arg1], arg2, arg3,...argk) will concatenate arg2 -> argk, optionally using the separator specified in arg1. In this case, it successfully returns "cba."

Excel has no join function, so iferror sees a problem and returns "abc"

Answer 13

Python / Befunge, 20 18 bytes

2 bytes saved thanks to @karhell

print("abc")# ,,,@

Try it online! for Python

Python sees print("abc") then a comment.

Try it online! for Befunge

Befunge, removing all nops and useless commands sees "abc",,,@ which puts a, b and c on the stack and then prints them (last in - first out).

Answer 14

Python 2 / Python 3, 28 bytes

print('abc'[::int(1/2*4)-1])

In Python 2 int(1/2*4)-1 evaluates to -1 and so prints cba. - TiO

In Python 3 it evaluates 1 so prints abc. - TiO

Answer 15

R/Cubix, 20 bytes

cat("abc")#u@o;o;o(;

R - Try it online!

Cubix - Try it online!

For R, cat("abc") then shameless abuse of comments. For Cubix

    c a
    t (
" a b c " ) # u
@ o ; o ; o ( ;
    . .
    . .

• "abc" Pushs a, b ad c onto the stack
• )# Increment the c, pushs number of element in stack
• u U-turn to the right
• ;( Remove the count, Decrement the c
• o;o;o@ Output cba and exit

Pushs the number on in stack

Answer 16

CJam and Gaia, 8 bytes

'c'b'a]$

Try it in CJam!

Try it in Gaia!

Explanation

In both languages this defines a list of characters.

In CJam, $ is sort, so it becomes abc.

In Gaia, $ joins the list into one string, giving cba.

Answer 17

Java 8 & C, 95 bytes

//\
interface a{static void main(String[]s){System.out.print("abc"/*
main(){{puts("cba"/**/);}}

Try it in Java 8 - resulting in "abc".
Try it in C - resulting in "cba".

Explanation:

//\
interface a{static void main(String[]s){System.out.print("abc"/*
main(){{puts("cba"/**/);}}

As you can see in the Java-highlighted code above, the first line is a comment due to //, and the C-code is a comment due to /* ... */, resulting in:

interface a{static void main(String[]s){System.out.print("abc");}}

---

//\
interface a{static void main(String[]s){System.out.print("abc"/*
main(){{puts("cba"/**/);}}

Not sure how to correctly enable C-highlighting, because lang-c results in the same highlighting as Java.. But //\ will comment out the next line, which is the Java-code, resulting in:

main(){{puts("cba");}}

Answer 18

C and C++, 115, 78, 58, 56 bytes

#include<stdio.h>
main(){puts(sizeof('x')>1?"abc":"cba");}

78 bytes, thanks to challenger5.

58 bytes, thanks to aschepler.

56 bytes, thanks to hvd

Try it - C++!

Try it - C!

Answer 19

Japt 2.0/JavaScript, 11 10 bytes

"abc"
//Uw

Japt 2.0 outputs cba

JavaScript outputs abc

Answer 20

Vyxal/Hexagony, 19 bytes

ka3wiṘ,Qλa;b@;<λ;c/

Try it Online! (Vyxal)

Try it Online! (Hexagony)

The program is split into two main parts, ka3wiṘ,Q and λa;b@;<λ;c/. The first half is just basic Vyxal to print "cba" (though I cannot use `cba` because it messes with Hexagony's layout). The second part worked out really nicely, because in order to print in Hexagony, a semicolon is required, but in Vyxal, an unmatched semicolon gives an error. So to fix this, I use lambdas in order to match them, and it just so happened to fit into an exact 3x3 hexagon. Luckily, in Hexagony almost any character that isn't special is taken as its codepoint, so the lambda character is quickly overwritten by anything else that comes after it.

The lambdas are placed so each one proceeds a semicolon, even if they aren't used in the hexagony code (as indicated by the blue trail).

Answer 21

Python 3, 26 bytes

print('abc'[::-(1/2>0)|1])

Try it online!

Python 2, 26 bytes

print('abc'[::-(1/2>0)|1])

Try it online!

25-byte version with exit instead, which outputs to STDERR instead.

This is basically the same as print('abc'[::[1,-1][1/2>0]]), just that it's golfed.

Answer 22

Python 2 and Foo, 16 bytes

print"abc"[::-1]

Python 2

print"abc"[::-1]

Try Python 2 online!

Explanation

print"abc"[::-1]

print             # print... (duh)
     "abc"        # the string "abc"...
          [::-1]  # backwards

Foo

"abc"

Try Foo online!

Explanation

"abc"

"abc"               print the string "abc"

Answer 23

C (gcc) C++ (g++), 59 bytes

#include<stdio.h>
main(){puts("abc\0cba"+(sizeof(' ')&4));}

Answer 24

Fission / ><> , 11 bytes

!R"abc"ooo;

Try Fission Online

In Fission, a particle starts at R and prints abc.

Try ><> Online

In ><>, the IP starts at the top-left. ! skips the next instruction, and "abc" pushes [a,b,c] on the stack. ooo then pops and prints three times, giving cba.

Both programs end at ;

Answer 25

Ly / ><>, 20 19 bytes

"abc"&&ov
;     oo<

Try it with ><>!

Try it with Ly!

These languages are very similar, as Ly is based off ><>. However, Ly does not have 2D execution and interprets & differently, which I took advantage of here.

Both languages will start by pushing abc to the stack.

For ><>, the & instruction moves values to and fro the register. Two in a row will push a value to the register and then take it straight back, essentially a NOP.

For Ly, & is a modifier that makes an instruction perform its function on the entire stack.

o means the same thing for both languages, but since it is modified by & in Ly, it will print the whole stack, outputting abc. In ><>, it will only output c (as it is printed from the top down)

v is a NOP in Ly, which skips it and goes straight to ;, ending execution. ><> will instead treat it as a pointer, sending the IP downwards.

It then hits another arrow, sending the IP left. Here, it meets two o signs, outputting b and a.

EDIT: Saved a byte (and fixed ><> crashing)

Answer 26

CJam and ><>, 12 bytes

"ooo;abc
"4>

What CJam sees:

"ooo;abc
"

String literal, which pushes the string ooo;abc (with a trailing newline) to the stack.

 4>

Slice off the first four characters of the string, leaving abc, which is output.

What ><> sees:

"

Begins a string literal.

 ooo;abc

Forms the contents of the string literal. The character codes of the characters in the string are pushed to the stack in reverse order (so c is on the top).

"

The IP wraps around, hitting the " a second time, which ends the string literal.

 ooo

Outputs the top three characters on the stack: cba

    ;

Terminates the program. Neither the abc nor any part of the second line is executed.

Solution with Error: 8 bytes

"abc"oo<

What CJam sees (Try it online!):

"abc"

Push a string literal to the stack.

    o

Output that string literal.

     o

Try to output again. The stack is empty, so the program crashes.

What ><> sees:

"abc"

Push three characters onto the stack in reverse order.

    o

Print one character: c

     o

Print another character: b

      <

Start moving backwards.

     o

Print the last character: a

    o

Try to print another character. Since the stack is empty, the program errors.

Answer 27

J/K (Kona), 30 bytes

NB. :`0:"ABC"
{}[] /.echo'CBA'

TIO - J & TIO - K kona

Answer 28

Javascript / Ruby, 27 bytes

0?print('abc'):alert('cba')

A shorter version without prints for interpreters (14 bytes) :

0?'abc':'cba'

**Explanation**

NEW VERSION 0 is falsy for Javascript but truthy for Ruby, thanks to pxeger

OLD VERSION: '' is falsy for Javascript, but truthy for Ruby.

OLD VERSION: For Javascript, []+[] = "" as a string concatenation, since the + operand is only defined for numbers and strings, and the empty string is evaluated as false

Meanwhile, in Ruby, you can concatenate array using the + operand, and it is evaluated as true

_{(first participation in PCG ! :))}

Answer 29

Julia and Python 3, 23 bytes

print(["abc","cba"][1])

Try Julia online!

Try Python online!

Julia uses 1-based indexing while Python uses 0-based indexing

Answer 30

05AB1E and 2sable, 6 bytes

…CBAžR

Prints ABC (OP said it was allowed) in 05AB1E and CBA in 2sable, using the fact that 2sable was similar to 05AB1E but the žR was added to 05AB1E after 2sable was abandoned.

Try it online! (05AB1E)

Try it online! (2sable)