Code Golf is for programming contests and challenges. We welcome questions from beginners and experts alike.
All challenge questions on this site should have:
- A clear specification of what constitutes a correct submission, so that it is possible to indisputably decide whether an entry is valid or not. Test cases are highly encouraged.
- An objective primary winning criterion, so that it is possible to indisputably decide which entry should win.
These questions are surprisingly hard to write well. It is advisable to follow a standard template and to post them first and get feedback in the meta Sandbox so that flaws can be fixed before someone posts an answer which exploits them.
All solutions to challenges should:
- Correctly implement the required specification.
- Be a serious contender for the winning criteria in use. For example, an entry to a code golf contest needs to be golfed, and an entry to a speed contest should make some attempt to be fast.
Non-challenge questions that are related to solving programming puzzles or a particular type of challenge are also on topic. However, if you have a general programming question, it should be asked on Stack Overflow or a different Stack Exchange site.
More information specific to code golf can be found in its tag wiki. If you would like an in-depth description of a specific tag, simply click the "learn more" link on the tag's page to access the tag wiki.
For more help, see "What types of questions should I avoid asking?". Please look around to see if your question or challenge has been posted before. It’s also OK to participate in your own puzzles.
If your question is not specifically on-topic for Code Golf, it may be on topic for another Stack Exchange site. If no site currently exists that will accept your question, you may commit to or propose a new site at Area 51, the place where new Stack Exchange communities are democratically created.