N(e(s(t))) a string

Question

To "function nest" a string, you must:

• Treat the first character as a function, and the following characters as the arguments to that function. For example, if the input string was Hello, then the first step would be:

  H(ello)
  

• Then, repeat this same step for every substring. So we get:

  H(ello)
  H(e(llo))
  H(e(l(lo)))
  H(e(l(l(o))))
  

Your task is to write a program or function that "function nests" a string. For example, if the input string was Hello world!, then you should output:

H(e(l(l(o( (w(o(r(l(d(!)))))))))))

The input will only ever contain printable ASCII, and you may take the input and the output in any reasonable format. For example, STDIN/STDOUT, function arguments and return value, reading and writing to a file, etc.

For simplicity's sake, you may also assume the input will not contain parentheses, and will not be empty.

Input:
Nest a string
Output:
N(e(s(t( (a( (s(t(r(i(n(g))))))))))))

Input:
foobar
Output:
f(o(o(b(a(r)))))

Input:
1234567890
Output:
1(2(3(4(5(6(7(8(9(0)))))))))

Input:
code-golf
Output:
c(o(d(e(-(g(o(l(f))))))))

Input:
a
Output:
a

Input:
42
Output:
4(2)

As usual, all of our default rules and loopholes apply, and the shortest answer scored in bytes wins!

Answer 1

Brachylog, 35 28 25 bytes

l-L,")":LjkC,?:"("zckc:Cc

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Explanation

l-L,          # L is length of input - 1
")":LjkC,     # C is ")" repeated L-1 times
              # output is
?:"("z        # input zipped with "("
      ckc     # flattened to a string with the last element removed
         :Cc  # concatenated with C

Answer 2

Factor, 81 bytes

[ [ >array [ 1string ] map "("join ] [ length 1 - [ 40 ] replicate >string ] bi ]       

Answer 3

Java 82 81

Thanks to Olivier Grégoire for the correction leading to 1byte less.

Solution

I forced myself in using a String a not a char[] so this is a bit more verbose :/

String n(String s){return s.length()>1?s.charAt(0)+"("+n(s.substring(1))+")":s;}

A simple recursive function.

Test

public static void main(String[] a){
    System.out.println(n("test"));
    System.out.println(n("Hello world!"));
}

t(e(s(t)))

H(e(l(l(o( (w(o(r(l(d(!)))))))))))

Answer 4

Dyalog APL, 14 bytes

⊃{⍺,1⌽')(',⍵}/

this is an atop of ⊃ and { }/

⊃ (get first element) will be applied after { }/ (reduction of a lambda)

⍺,1⌽')(',⍵ - the left argument (⍺) concatenated with (,) the rotation by one element to the left (1⌽) of the string ')(' concatenated with (,) the right argument (⍵)

reduction in APL folds from right to left, as required here

Answer 5

Stax, 8 6 bytes

-2 thanks to @recursive!

çΔ \Γ]

Run and debug it at staxlang.xyz!

Unpacked (7 bytes) and explanation:

Mrks:{+
M          Transpose array. This turns a string into an array of length-1 strings.
 r         Reverse string.
  k        Fold array using the rest of the program as a block:
   s         Swap. This puts the accumulator on top of the current element.
    :{       Wrap in parentheses.
      +      Concatenate.
           Implicit print at end of program!

Answer 6

Perl 5, 44 33 bytes (31 + 1 for -l + 1 for -p)

saved 11 bytes thanks to Dada

s/([\w ])([\w ]+)/$1($2)/&&redo

Can be run from the command line with the -p and -e options.

$ perl -ple 's/([\w ])([\w ]+)/$1($2)/&&redo' <<< 'Hello'

Output:

H(e(l(l(o))))

Answer 7

C, 102 89 bytes

Maybe this can be golfed more? I'm just happy to answer in C! :D

i=0,j=0;f(char*a){while(*a)putchar(*a),*++a?putchar(40),i++:0;while(j<i)putchar(41),j++;}

Answer 8

SWI-Prolog, 82 bytes

q([H],[H]).
q([H|T],[H,40|S]):-q(T,R),append(R,[41],S).
X*Y:-q(X,Z),atom_codes(Y,Z).

Called like: `Hello World!`*X.

Online interpreter

Answer 9

k, 16 bytes

This is an anonymous function composition

{y,"(",x,")"}/|:

Example

k){y,"(",x,")"}/|:"hello world"
"h(e(l(l(o( (w(o(r(l(d))))))))))"

Answer 10

Mathematica, 35 27 bytes bytes

Saved 8 bytes on adding the appropriate number of ")" to the end thanks to alephalpha

#~Riffle~"("<>Most[0#+")"]&

Input is a list of characters. Riffles "(" between each character, then adds that many ")" minus 1 to the end. Specifically, multiplies the input by 0, adds ")" and then takes Most of the list.

e.g.

#~Riffle~"("<>Most[0#+")"]&[{"H","e","l","l","o"}]

{"H","e","l","l","o"}~Riffle~"("<>Most[0{"H","e","l","l","o"}+")"]

{"H","(","e","(","l","(","l","(","o"}<>Most[{0,0,0,0,0}+")"]

{"H","(","e","(","l","(","l","(","o"}<>Most[{")",")",")",")",")"}]

{"H","(","e","(","l","(","l","(","o"}<>{")",")",")",")"}

"H(e(l(l(o))))"

Answer 11

Brain-Flak, 118 84 + 1 = 85 bytes

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([[]]<{({}<>)((((()()()()()){}){}){})<>}>()){({}()<(<>({})<>())>)}{}<>{}{({}<>)<>}<>

This requires the -fc flag to run giving it an extra byte. -f flag is standard for passing input.

---

Explanation

([[]]<        #Store a copy of the stack height before hand in the scope
 {            #While there is something on the stack...
  ({}<>)      #Move something over and...
  ((((()()()()()){}){}){}) #Put a paren on top
  <>          #Swap back
}
>())          #Put the 1-stack height down
{             #While that is not zero
 ({}()<       #Add one and
  (<>({})<>())#Silently move a copy of the top of the other stack over (close paren)
 >)
}{}
<>{}          #Remove extra open paren
{({}<>)<>}<>  #Combine the two stacks

Answer 12

Poetic, 244 bytes

life is a quest,i say
i choose a fun course to cross
i cant say quite if survival excites
i say i am laughing
i create a way i relive a feeling
exile is torture,i say
i am thankful,of course,to say i adore u
i desire a wedding where i said i do

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Poetic is an esolang I made in 2018 for a class project. It's basically brainfuck with word-lengths instead of symbols.

The point of the language is to allow for programs to be written in free-verse poetry.

Answer 13

05AB1E, 11 10 bytes

-1 byte thanks to @Kevin Cruijssen

S'(ý?¨v')?

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Explanation

             #implicit input
S            #cast input to list
   ý         #list join
 '(          #( character
    ?        #print list without a newline
      v      #foreach item in
     ¨       #first input[0:-1]
       ')?   #print ) without a newline

Answer 14

Vyxal, 7 bytes

÷!‹(øb+

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÷       # Push each to the stack
 !‹(    # (input-1) times... 
    øb  # Parenthesise what's currently on the stack
      + # and append it

Answer 15

Lua, 88 bytes

Probably not nearly as short as it could be.

x=""y=...for i=1,#y-1 do x=x..y:sub(i,i).."("end print(x..y:sub(-1,-1)..(")"):rep(#y-1))

Takes input from the command line.

Answer 16

Pyth - 9 bytes

+j\(Qsm\)

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Answer 17

Ruby, 41 29 bytes

->s{s.split("").join(?()+?)*(s.length-1)}

->s{(s.chars*?()+?)*~-s.size}

Thanks @ValueInk

Answer 18

Turtlèd, 25 27 bytes

(original didn't work for single char inputs ;_;)

This is what Turtlèd ended up being for even though it as originally ascii art stuff.

!-l[*+.r'(r_]l-_[*-')r_]"  [2 trailing spaces]

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Explanation:

put the input on to the cells with ( after each char

!                        Take a string as input
 -                       decrement the string pointer, so it points at last char
  l                      move left
   [*       ]            while the current cell is not *
     +.r                 increment string pointer and write the pointed char, move right
        '(r              write (, move right
           _             write * if pointed char is last char, else " "


Write the terminating parens, the first one overwriting the last open paren

             l-           move left, decrement string pointer
               _          write * if pointed char is last char, else " "
                [*     ]  while the current cell is not *
                  -')r    decrement string pointer, write ), move right
                      _   write * if pointed char is last char, else " "

                        "[2 spaces]  Remove the last *, or two *s if input is one char

Answer 19

Zsh, 36 Bytes

z=${1:1};<<<${1[1]}${z///(}${z//?/)}

This should be possible in 34 bytes, but zsh syntax is inconsistent. $a[1] will return the first character of the string $a, but $1[1] returns the entire contents of $1 plus the string "[1]". I'd love to know if this is intended behavior, or just on a long list of zsh documentation not covering edge cases.

The logic used is

1. Assign all but the first character of the first argument to a variable z
2. Print the first character of the input
3. Print z, with "the empty string replaced with (" which actually places a ( before each character of z
4. Print z, with all of the characters replaced with )

I don't think its golfable much farther from here, even though I how many characters it takes to just split the first character from the rest of the string. There is probably a more efficient "logic" though, I just couldn't find one that synergizes with zsh or bash.

Speaking of bash, this doesn't work because the cute trick with sed-style replacing the empty string does not do anything in bash. I will edit with a solution that is better designed for bash-compatible syntax.

Answer 20

Mathematica, 45 43 bytes

#2<>"("<>#<>")"&~Fold~Reverse@Characters@#&

Answer 21

Bash / sed, 74 bytes

y=$(echo $1|sed "s/./\0(/g");z=$(echo $1|sed "s/./)/g");echo ${y%?}${z%?}

• Puts a parenthesis after each characters in y.
• Puts a parenthesis for each characters in z.
• Print x and z truncated of one character.

To test, put this code into a file, and run the shell script with any arguments.

Answer 22

Pyth, 10 characters

+j\(Q*\)tl

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Joins the input on (, and appends length - 1 closing parens afterwards.

Answer 23

CJam, 12 11 bytes

One byte saved by Martin Ender.

q_'(*\,(')*

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Answer 24

Scala, 58 bytes

"Hello world!"match{case s =>s.mkString("(")+")"*s.length}

Could be shorter

Answer 25

Actually, 10 bytes

lD')*ß'(j+

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Explanation:

lD')*ß'(j+
lD')*       ")"*(len(input)-1)
     ß'(j   insert a "(" between every pair of characters in the input
         +  append the closing parens

Answer 26

V, 9 bytes

$òys$)hhl

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Answer 27

JavaScript, 36 bytes

([...v])=>v.join`(`+v.fill``.join`)`

I can't seem to beat the top score of 34 bytes, but I thought I would share my different approach.

Answer 28

PHP, 51 60 68 63 bytes

Why not just do what´s asked for instead of emulating it? Recurse!

function n($s){return$s[1]>""?"$s[0](".n(substr($s,1)).")":$s;}

Answer 29

QBIC, 64 bytes

Way too large. Posted as an incentive to get my butt moving again on the QBIC project.

;_LA|[a-1|Z=Z+$mid$|(A,b,1)+@(|]Z=Z+$right$|(A,1)[a-1|Z=Z+@)|]?Z

All those $mid$| and $right$|s should be turned into QBIC commands, but to do that I first need to solve a problem with nesting function calls...

---

EDIT: Got my butt moving. Now in 48 bytes:

_L;|[a-1|Z=Z+_sA,b,1|+@(`]Z=Z+_sA,-1|[a-1|Z=Z+@)

Answer 30

R, 56 bytes

function(s)c(paste(s,collapse="("),rep(")",length(s)-1))

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Plain old R. Recursive solution below. Both input and output are vectors of characters.

R, 57 bytes

f=function(s)"if"(length(s)>1,c(s[1],"(",f(s[-1]),")"),s)

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