Better Hex Color Codes for Your Internet

Question

Hex triplets such as #ffffff (white) or #3764ef (blueish) are often used to denote RGB colors. They consist of # followed by six hexadecimal digits (0-f), or sometimes three digits where the real color is obtained by doubling each digit. For example, #fff is #ffffff and #1a8 is #11aa88.

Sadly, that three digit shorthand was the golfiest the internet had to offer, until now.

Write a program or function that takes in a string of 1 to 7 characters:

• The first character will always be #.
• The other characters will always be hexadecimal digits: 0123456789abcdef.

The input is a shorthand form of a hex triplet (or the full form if 7 characters are given). You need to output a full hex triplet that expands the input shorthand based on these patterns:

Input   -> Output
#       -> #000000    (black)
#U      -> #UUUUUU
#UV     -> #UVUVUV
#UVW    -> #UUVVWW    (usual 3-digit shorthand)
#UVWX   -> #UXVXWX
#UVWXY  -> #UVWXYY
#UVWXYZ -> #UVWXYZ    (not shorthand)

Each of U, V, W, X, Y, and Z may be any hexadecimal digit. The output is always 7 characters.

For example:

Input -> Output
# -> #000000
#0 -> #000000
#4 -> #444444
#f -> #ffffff
#a1 -> #a1a1a1
#0f -> #0f0f0f
#99 -> #999999
#1a8 -> #11aa88
#223 -> #222233
#fff -> #ffffff
#1230 -> #102030
#d767 -> #d77767
#bbb5 -> #b5b5b5
#aabbc -> #aabbcc
#00000 -> #000000
#3764e -> #3764ee
#3764ef -> #3764ef
#123456 -> #123456
#f8f8f8 -> #f8f8f8

Notes

• The input will always start with # and so must the output.

• You may assume all input letters are lowercase (abcdef) or uppercase (ABCDEF) as you prefer.

• Letters in the output may be in either case as you prefer. You can even mix cases.

• Alpha/transparency is not dealt with here (though there are hex versions of RGBA colors).

The shortest code in bytes wins.

Answer 1

JavaScript, 86 82 77 bytes

x=>([s,a=0,b=a,c,d,e,f]=x,f?x:e?x+e:[s,a,d||a,c?b:a,d||b,v=c||b,d||v].join``)

just find out that remove recursive save 4 bytes...

idea from @Arnauld save 4 bytes, +1 more bytes

Answer 2

Jelly, 24 bytes

x2
j0ị$
m0

0
Ḣ;LĿṁ6$$

A full program (the empty lines are actually empty lines).

Try it online! or see a test suite*

How?

     - Link 1 (0 bytes), returns its input (e.g. "U" -> "U")
     - Link 2 (0 bytes), returns its input (e.g. "UV" -> "UV")
x2   - Link 3, doubles up (e.g. "UVW" -> "UUVVWW")
j0ị$ - Link 4, joins with final element (e.g. "UVWX" -> "UXVXWXX")
m0   - Link 5, reflects its input (e.g. "UVWXY" -> "UVWXYYXWVU")
     - Link 6 (0 bytes), returns its input (e.g. "UVWXYZ" -> "UVWXYX")
0    - Link 7, returns zero (link 7 is also link 0 since there are 7 links)
Ḣ;LĿṁ6$$ - Main link: string
Ḣ        - head (get the '#')
       $ - last two links as a monad:
   Ŀ     -   call link at index:
  L      -     length
      $  -   last two links as a monad:
    ṁ6   -     mould like 6 (e.g. "UVWXYYXWVU" -> "UVWXYY"
         -                    or  "UV" -> "UVUVUV")
 ;       - concatenate (prepend the '#' again)
         - implicit print

* the test-suite program had to be altered by swapping the order of what were the Main link and Link 7, while the footer became the Main Link. Furthermore the # had to be manually replaced, since the program as-is heads it.

Answer 3

CJam, 45  44  42 40 36 35 bytes

q(\0se|_,("6* 3* 2e* )f+ _W=+ "S/=~

Runs various code snippets based on the length of the input.

Answer 4

PHP 7.1, 88 bytes

#<?for(;$i<6;)echo@$argn[_22222232532233423355224462[5*$i+++strlen($argn|aa)*.85]-1]?:0;

PHP 5, 90 88 bytes

#<?for(;$i<6;)echo$argn[_10311001122011333002244012345[6*$i+++strlen($argn|aa)-8]+1]?:0;

Answer 5

PHP, 95 93 89 87

<?=strtr(_1.intval([a6n,sot,c8c,lba,vf1,vf2][strlen($argn|aa)-2],33),_134256,$argn.=0);

Basically @JörgHülsermann's answer but greatly golfed down so I decided to post it as a seperate answer. I'd count this answer as an collective effort of me and Jörg.

-4 bytes thanks to @JörgHülsermann
-1 bytes thanks to @JörgHülsermann's base 33 numbers

Answer 6

Python 3, 166 162 160 152 bytes

import re
lambda x,d='(.)$',b=r'\1':re.sub(*[('$','0'*6),(d,b*6),('(..)$',b*3),('(\w)',b*2),('.'+'(.)'*4,r'#\1\4\2\4\3\4'),(d,b*2),('','')][len(x)-1],x)

I construct a list of regex replacement tuples for each pattern, and then extract the tuple at index len(x)-1, finally splatting (*) it into the arguments of re.sub:

lambda x, d='(.)$', b=r'\1':   # lambda expression, save often used strings
  re.sub(   # regex replacement of:
         *  # expand what follows into arguments, i.e. f(*(1,2)) -> f(1,2)
         [  # list of replacement patterns:
            # 1 character: replace the end with 6 zeroes
            ('$', '0'*6),
            # 2 chars: repeat the last character 6 times
            (d, b*6),
            # 3 chars: repeat the two non-#s 3 times.
            ('(..)$', b*3),
            # 4 chars: replace every non-# with twice itself
            ('(\w)', b*2),
            # 5 chars: has to be somewhat verbose..
            ('.'+'(.)'*4, r'#\1\4\2\4\3\4'), 
            # 6 chars: repeat the last character
            (d, b*2),
            # 7 chars: complete already, replace nothing with nothing
            ('', '')
         ][len(x)-1], # select the element from the list that has the right length
        x)  # replace in argument x

saved 8 bytes by memorizing r'\1' (thanks, Gábor Fekete)

Answer 7

Java 10, 228 227 224 182 bytes

s->{var x="$1$1";int l=s.length();return l>6?s:l>5?s+s.charAt(5):l<2?"#000000":s.replaceAll(l>4?"(.)(.)(.)(.)$":l==3?"([^#]{2})":"([^#])",l>4?"$1$4$2$4$3$4":l>3?x:l>2?x+"$1":x+x+x);}

Try it online.

Explanation:

s->{                      // Method with String as both parameter and return-type
  var x="$1$1";         //  Create a temp String to repeat a match
  int l=s.length();     //  Length of the String
  return l>6?           //  If the length is 7:
    s                   //   Return the input-String as is
   :l>5?                //  Else-if the length is 6:
    s+s.charAt(5)       //   Return the input-String with the last character repeated
   :l<2?                //  Else-if the length is 1:
    "#000000";          //   Simply return the literal String #000000
   :                    //  Else (the length is 2, 3, 4, or 5):
    s.replaceAll(       //   Return the input-String after a regex replace:
                        //    With as match:
     l>4?               //     If the length is 5:
      "(.)(.)(.)(.)$",  //      Use a match for pattern #(A)(B)(C)(D)
     :l==3?             //     Else-if the length is 3:
      "([^#]{2})"       //      Use a match for pattern #(AB)
     :                  //     Else (the length is 2 or 4):
      "([^#])",         //      Use a match for pattern #(A) or #(A)(B)(C)
                        //    And as replacement: 
     l>4?               //     If the length is 5:
      "$1$4$2$4$3$4"    //      Change #ABCD to #ADBDCD
     :l>3?              //     Else-if the length is 4:
      x                 //      Change #ABC to #AABBCC
     :l>2?              //     Else-if the length is 3:
      x+"$1"            //      Change #AB to #ABABAB
     :                  //     Else (the length is 2):
      x+x+x);}          //      Change #A to #AAAAAA

Answer 8

APL (Dyalog), 43 bytes

Requires ⎕IO←0 which is default on many systems.

'#',{6⍴(≢⍵)⊃'0'⍵ ⍵(2/⍵)(∊⍵,¨⊃⌽⍵)(⍵,⌽⍵)⍵}1↓⍞

Try it online!

1↓⍞ drop the first character (the hash)

{ apply the following anonymous function

 (≢⍵)⊃ use the length of the argument to pick one of the following seven values:
  '0' a zero
  ⍵ the argument
  ⍵ the argument
  2/⍵ two (2) of each (/) of the argument (⍵)
  ∊⍵,¨⊃⌽⍵ the flattened (∊) argument (⍵) followed each (,¨) by the first (⊃) of the reversed (⌽) argument (⍵)
  ⍵,⌽⍵ the argument (⍵) prepended (,) to the reversed (⌽) argument (⍵)
  ⍵ the argument

 6⍴ repeat elements from that until a length of six is achieved

} end of anonymous function

'#', prepend a hash to that

Answer 9

Python 2, 167 165 bytes

-2 bytes thanks to Trelzevir

z=zip
lambda s:'#'+''.join([reduce(lambda x,y:x+y,c)for c in['0'*6,s[1:2]*6,z(s[1:2],s[2:3])*3,z(*z(s[1:2],s[2:3],s[3:4]))*2,z(s[1:4],s[-1]*3),s+s[-1],s][len(s)-1]])

It creates a list of strings and chooses based on the length of the string.

Answer 10

Sed, 119 (118 Bytes + -E)

s/#//
s/^$/0/
s/^.$/&&/
s/^..$/&&&/
s/^(.)(.)(.)$/\1\1\2\2\3\3/
s/^(.)(.)(.)(.)$/\1\4\2\4\3\4/
s/^....(.)$/&\1/
s/^/#/

Straightforward text substitution.

Answer 11

PHP, 87 Bytes

use Base 35 Numbers

<?=strtr(_2.intval([i4w,qdi,j1y,apg,ruu,ruv][strlen($argn|aa)-2],35),_234156,$argn.=0);

Try it online!

or use Base 33 Numbers

<?=strtr(_1.intval([a6n,sot,c8c,lba,vf1,vf2][strlen($argn|aa)-2],33),_134256,$argn.=0);

Try it online!

PHP, 89 Bytes

<?=strtr(_1.[11111,21212,12233,42434,23455,23456][strlen($argn|aa)-2],_123456,$argn."0");

Try it online!

intval(["8kn",gd8,"9ft",wqq,i3j,i3k][strlen($argn|aa)-2],36) + 3 Bytes using a 36 Base

PHP, 102 Bytes

<?=strtr("01".substr("11111111112121212233424342345523456",5*strlen($argn)-5,5),str_split($argn."0"));

Try it online!

PHP, 180 Bytes

<?=[str_pad("#",7,($l=strlen($p=substr($argn,1)))?$p:0),"#$p[0]$p[0]$p[1]$p[1]$p[2]$p[2]","#$p[0]$p[3]$p[1]$p[3]$p[2]$p[3]","#$p[0]$p[1]$p[2]$p[3]$p[4]$p[4]",$argn][($l>2)*($l-2)];

Try it online!

Answer 12

Retina, 90 bytes

#(..)$
#$1$1$1
#(.)(.)(.)$
#$1$1$2$2$3
#(.)(.)(.(.))$
#$1$4$2$4$3
#$
#0
+`#.{0,4}(.)$
$&$1

Try it online! Includes test cases.

Explanation: The first translation handles two digits, the second one three, the third one four, and the fourth one zero. However, neither the second and fourth translations repeat the (last) digit, as that is done at the end anyway to cover all the remaining cases.

Answer 13

Haskell, 130 127 122 118 109 95 bytes (by user1472751)

y a|l<-[last a]=[y"0",y$a++a,a++a++a,do c<-a;[c,c],(:l)=<<init a,a++l,a]!!length a
f(h:r)=h:y r

Try it online!

Answer 14

Powershell, 113 111 bytes

param($s)-join($s+='0'*($s-eq'#'))[0,1+((,1*5),(2,1*2+2),(1,2,2,3,3),(4,2,4,3,4),(2..5+5),(2..6))[$s.Length-2]]

Explaned test script:

$f = {

param($s)           # parameter string
$s+='0'*($s-eq'#')  # append '0' if $s equal to '#'
$i=(                # get indexes from array
    (,1*5),         # $i = 1,1,1,1,1 if $s.length-2 = 0
    (2,1*2+2),      # $i = 2,1,2,1,2 if $s.length-2 = 1
    (1,2,2,3,3),    # $i = 1,2,2,3,3 if $s.length-2 = 2
    (4,2,4,3,4),    # $i = 4,2,4,3,4 if $s.length-2 = 3
    (2..5+5),       # $i = 2,3,4,5,5 if $s.length-2 = 4
    (2..6)          # $i = 2,3,4,5,6 if $s.length-2 = 5
)[$s.Length-2]
-join$s[0,1+$i]     # join chars from $s by indexes 0, 1 and $i


}

@(
    , ("#", "#000000")
    , ("#0", "#000000")
    , ("#4", "#444444")
    , ("#f", "#ffffff")
    , ("#a1", "#a1a1a1")
    , ("#0f", "#0f0f0f")
    , ("#99", "#999999")
    , ("#1a8", "#11aa88")
    , ("#223", "#222233")
    , ("#fff", "#ffffff")
    , ("#1230", "#102030")
    , ("#d767", "#d77767")
    , ("#bbb5", "#b5b5b5")
    , ("#aabbc", "#aabbcc")
    , ("#00000", "#000000")
    , ("#3764e", "#3764ee")
    , ("#3764ef", "#3764ef")
    , ("#123456", "#123456")
    , ("#f8f8f8", "#f8f8f8")
) |% {
    $s, $e = $_
    $r = &$f $s
    "$($e-eq$r): $r"
}

Output:

True: #000000
True: #000000
True: #444444
True: #ffffff
True: #a1a1a1
True: #0f0f0f
True: #999999
True: #11aa88
True: #222233
True: #ffffff
True: #102030
True: #d77767
True: #b5b5b5
True: #aabbcc
True: #000000
True: #3764ee
True: #3764ef
True: #123456
True: #f8f8f8

Answer 15

JavaScript (ES6), 96 bytes

s=>'#'+(c=[u,v,w,x,y,z]=s.slice(1)||'0',z?c:y?c+y:(x?u+x+v+x+w+x:w?u+u+v+v+w+w:c.repeat(v?3:6)))

f=
s=>'#'+(c=[u,v,w,x,y,z]=s.slice(1)||'0',z?c:y?c+y:(x?u+x+v+x+w+x:w?u+u+v+v+w+w:c.repeat(v?3:6)))

console.log(
  f('#'),
  f('#U'),
  f('#UV'),
  f('#UVW'),
  f('#UVWX'),
  f('#UVWXY'),
  f('#UVWXYZ')
)

Answer 16

Perl, 61 bytes

say+(/./g,0)[0,1,(unpack+S7,"g+g+ÜRÉ/Â¥[ [")[y/#//c]=~/./g]

Run with perl -nE. Assumes that the input is exactly as described (gives incorrect results if the input has a trailing newline).

The string "g+g+ÜRÉ/Â¥[ [" encodes the 7 16-bit numbers 11111,11111,21212,12233,42434,23455,23456 as 14 latin1 characters. Here’s a hexdump for clarity:

0000001d: 672b 672b dc52 c92f c2a5 9f5b a05b       g+g+.R./...[.[

Answer 17

Windows batch, 389 372 362 349 231 bytes

I totally copied @Neil code...

@call:c %s:~1,1% %s:~2,1% %s:~3,1% %s:~4,1% %s:~5,1% %s:~6,1%
@exit/b
:c
@for %%r in (#%1%2%3%4%5%6.%6 #%1%2%3%4%5%5.%5 #%1%4%2%4%3%4.%4 %s%%1%2%3.%3 
%s%%1%2%1%2.%2 %s%%1%1%1%1%1.%1 #000000.0)do @if not %%~xr.==. @echo %%~nr&exit/b

Answer 18

Pyth, 35 bytes

+\#@<R6[J|tQ\0K*6JKKs*R2JjeJJ+JeJ)l

Try it online here, or verify all test cases here.

+\#@<R6[J|tQ\0K*6JKKs*R2JjeJJ+JeJ)lQ   Implicit: Q=eval(input())
                                       Trailing Q inferred
          tQ                           Remove first char of input
         |  \0                         The above, or "0" if empty
        J                             *Store in J (also yields stored value)
              K*6J                    *Repeat J 6 times, store in K
                  KK                  *2 more copies of the above
                    s*R2J             *Duplicate each char of J in place
                         jeJJ         *Join chars of J on last char of J
                             +JeJ     *Append last char of J to J
       [                         )     Wrap the 5 starred results in an array
    <R6                                Trim each to length 6
   @                              lQ   Choose result at index of length of input
                                       (Modular indexing, so length 7 selects 0th element)
+\#                                    Prepend #, implicit print

Answer 19

Python 2, 99 bytes

def a(s):s=s[1:]or'0';l=len(s);print('#'+(l/4*s[-1]).join(i+i*(l==3)for i in(l<5)*6*s)+s+s[-1])[:7]

Try it online!

Answer 20

Python 2 - 179 bytes

n=raw_input()                                #prompts for string
t=len(n)                                     #the length of the string is stored to 't'
if t==1:n+="0"*6                             #if t is only one char long, it needs to be black, so n is assigned 6 zeroes
if t==2:n+=n[1]*5                            #if t is two chars long, it adds the last character times 5 at the end
if t==3:n+=n[1:3]*2                          #if t is 3 chars, it multiplies the last two digits times 3
if t==4:n="#"+n[1]*2+n[2]*2+n[3]*2           #if t is 4 chars, it multiplies each char by two
if t==5:n=n[:2]+n[4]+n[2]+n[4]+n[3]+n[4]     #if t is 5 chars, it makes it work
if t==6:n+=n[t-1]                            #if t is 6 chars, it adds the last character to the end
print n                                      #it prints out n

Can anyone help me save some bytes? All of the if statements seem like they could be shortened into something shorter, I just don't know what.

Answer 21

TXR Lisp: 171 bytes

Indented:

(do let ((s (cdr @1)))
  (caseql (length s)
    (0 "#000000") 
    (1 `#@s@s@s@s@s@s`)
    (2 `#@s@s@s`)
    (3 `#@[mappend list s s]`)
    (4 `#@[s 0]@[s 3]@[s 1]@[s 3]@[s 2]@[s 3]`)
    (5 `#@s@[s 4]`)
    (6 `#@s`))))

This is an anonymous function: the do macro generates a (lambda ...) form.

It is idiomatic coding style, suitable for production; the only golfing is squashing whitespace:

(do let((s(cdr @1)))(caseql(length s)(0"#000000")(1`#@s@s@s@s@s@s`)(2`#@s@s@s`)(3`#@[mappend list s s]`)(4`#@[s 0]@[s 3]@[s 1]@[s 3]@[s 2]@[s 3]`)(5`#@s@[s 4]`)(6`#@s`))))

Answer 22

Braingolf, 95 bytes

l1-.1e$_!&@4>[!@]|.2e$_!&@!@2!@2|.3e$_<@V2[R<!@!@v]|.4e$_<@VRM&,2>[@v!@R]|.5e$_<@!&@@|.6e$_&@|;

Try it online!

This is effectively Braingolf's equivalent of a switch-case on the amount of characters after the # in the input.

Explanation

Stuff that always runs:

l1-.1  Implicit input to stack
l      Push length of stack
 1-    Decrement last item in stack
   .   Duplicate last item in stack
    1  Push 1

If #X:

e$_!&@4>[!@]|
e              If last 2 items (input length - 1 and 1) are equal..
 $_            ..Pop last item silently
   !&@         ..Print entire stack as chars without popping
      4>       ..Push 4 and move it to start of stack
        [..]   ..While loop, decrements first item in stack when it reaches ]
               ..If first item in stack is 0 when reaching ], exit loop
               ..This loop will run 5 times
         !@    ....Print last char without popping
            |  endif

If #XX

This one may be golfable a little, I might look at it when I get home

.2e$_!&@!@2!@2|
.2               Duplicate last item and push 2
  e              If last 2 items (input length - 1 and 2) are equal..
   $_            ..Pop last item silently
     !&@         ..Print entire stack as chars without popping
        !@2      ..Print last 2 items as chars without popping
           !@2   ..Print last 2 items as chars without popping
              |  Endif

If #XXX

.3e$_<@V2[R<!@!@v]|
.3                   Duplicate last item and push 3
  e                  If last 2 items (input length - 1 and 3) are equal..
   $_                ..Pop last item silently
     <@              ..Move first item in stack to the end, then pop and print
       V2            ..Create new stack and push 2 to it
         [.......]   ..While loop, see above for explanation
          R<         ....Switch to stack1 and move first item to end of stack
            !@!@     ....Print last item on stack twice without popping
                v    ....Move to stack2 for loop counting
                  |  Endif

You get the idea

Answer 23

Ruby, 127 bytes

c=~/#(.)?(.)?(.)?(.)?(.)?(.)?/
$6?c:'#'+($5?$1+$2+$3+$4+$5*2:$4?$1+$4+$2+$4+$3+$4:$3?$1*2+$2*2+$3*2:$2?($1+$2)*3:$1?$1*6:"0"*6)

Try it online!

Answer 24

Ruby, 118 bytes

def f c
c.sub!'#',''
s=c.size
t=c[3]
s>5?'#'+c:f(s<1?'0':s<2?c*6:s<3?c*3:s<4?c*2:s<5?c[0]+t+c[1]+t+c[2]+t:c+c[-1])
end

Try it online!

Answer 25

05AB1E, 24 bytes

ćU©0®Ð€D®S¤ý®¤«)JIgè6∍Xì

Try it online or verify all test cases.

Explanation:

ć           # Extract the head of the (implicit) input-string;
            # pop and push remainder and head
 U          # Pop and store the head in variable `X`
  ©         # Store the remainder in variable `®` (without popping)
  0         # Push a 0
  ®Ð        # Push `®` three times
    €D      # Duplicate each character in the last copy (which becomes a character-list)
  ®S        # Push variable `®` again, converted to a character-list
    ¤       # Get its last character (without popping the list itself)
     ý      # Join the list by this character
  ®         # Push variable `®` once again
   ¤        # Get its last character (without popping the string itself)
    «       # Append it to the string
  )         # Wrap all values into a list
   J        # Join the inner list from `€D` together to a list,
            # or in case of input `#`, join everything together to string "0"
            #  i.e. "#" → (["","0","","","",""] → ) "0"
            #  i.e. "#4" → ["4","0","4","4","44","4","44"]
            #  i.e. "#a1" → ["a1","0","a1","a1","aa11","a11","a11"]
            #  i.e. "#1a8" → ["1a8","0","1a8","1a8","11aa88","18a88","1a88"]
            #  i.e. "#abcd" → ["abcd","0","abcd","abcd","aabbccdd","adbdcdd","abcdd"]
            #  i.e. "#3764e" → ["3764e","0","3764e","3764e","33776644ee","3e7e6e4ee","3764ee"]
            #  i.e. #123456 → ["123456","0","123456","123456","112233445566","16263646566","1234566"]
    Ig      # Push the length of the input
      è     # Index (0-based) this into the list (with automatic wraparound for length=7)
       6∍   # Extend/shorten the string to length 6
         Xì # And prepend variable `X` (the "#")
            # (after which the result is output implicitly)