8
Goal
Replace all comments in C, C++, or Java Code with the comment // Do the needful.
Specifics
This coding challenge is a simple one. Take as input the name of a file. The input file shall contain C, C++, or Java code. The code shall contain one or more comments. The comments can be single line /* */ or // delimited, as well as multi-line /* */ delimited. The output of the program should be identical to the input except all of the comments should be converted to // Do the needful.
For example if the input file is:
#include <iostream.h>
int result; // the result of the calculations
char oper_char; // the user-specified operator
int value; // value specified after the operator
/* standard main function */
int main()
{
result = 0; // initialize the result
// Loop forever (or till we hit the break statement)
while (1) {
cout << "Result: " << result << '\n';
/* This code outputs display and requests
input from the user */
cout << "Enter operator and number: ";
cin >> oper_char;
cin >> value;
if (oper_char = '+') {
result += value;
} else {
cout << "Unknown operator " << oper_char << '\n';
}
}
return (0);
}
The output of the program should read
#include <iostream.h>
int result; // Do the needful
char oper_char; // Do the needful
int value; // Do the needful
// Do the needful
int main()
{
result = 0; // Do the needful
// Do the needful
while (1) {
cout << "Result: " << result << '\n';
// Do the needful
cout << "Enter operator and number: ";
cin >> oper_char;
cin >> value;
if (oper_char = '+') {
result += value;
} else {
cout << "Unknown operator " << oper_char << '\n';
}
}
return (0);
}
Scoring
This is a popularity contest. You get two extra votes added to your score if none of the following words appears in your program in any case variation: {"do", "the", "needful"}. Score is number of votes plus bonus if applicable.
Allowances
If comments appear in string literals it is acceptable to convert them to // Do the needful as well. After all... you can never have enough needful.
ojblass
Posted 2014-05-26T23:33:47.093
Reputation: 2 575
5You know that the bonus is easily acquired by using
"d" + "o","t" + "he"and"need" + "ful"? Also, does the submission have to be able to deal with any valid C, C++ or Java code? That's pretty harsh and amounts to writing a lexer for all three languages (I'm thinking about comment literals in strings and vice-versa.) If so, what about 3rd-party lexer libraries? – Martin Ender – 2014-05-26T23:55:12.683This site always makes me laugh at the creative ways people think about problems. I was not aware that you could cheat the bonus but I am going to leave it as it is. If the comments appear in literals and strings and it changes them I will allow the solution to stand if it accidentally replaces them. – ojblass – 2014-05-26T23:57:58.507
2What should the program do when a
/* ... */precedes a non-comment on a line? – Greg Hewgill – 2014-05-27T00:27:53.497I would put the comment on its own line. – ojblass – 2014-05-27T00:31:43.873
1Do we need to consider cases like
char str[]="/**///";or a comment-start sequence/*appears in a/*comment, or a backslash-newline appears in a//comment, or a//comment within a/**/comment? – user12205 – 2014-05-27T00:37:11.783nested comments can result in multiple needfuls the more needful the better. String literals can be replaced too. – ojblass – 2014-05-27T01:25:44.277
3Why make this a popularity contest and not code golf? It works just fine as golf. – Aaronaught – 2014-05-27T02:41:55.260
1To reward creativity over brevity. – ojblass – 2014-05-27T02:50:34.893
2eventually lots of solutions are based on the same regex replacement. What about some bonus points for non regex solutions? – CousinCocaine – 2014-05-27T14:34:04.973
I'm curious where this idea came from – Nick T – 2014-05-27T23:55:26.820
Just random siliness... I hear that phrase a lot and it strikes a nerve. – ojblass – 2014-05-28T00:26:40.220