Kotlin
A concise multiplatform language developed by JetBrains
Advent of Code 2021 in Kotlin – Win Prizes, Solve Problems, Have Fun!
It’s that magical time of the year! Supermarkets are stocking cookies, the smell of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts fills the air, and maybe you’ll even see some snowflakes fall in front of your window. It can only mean one thing: Advent of Code is coming!
It starts December 1, when the first of twenty-five coding puzzles is unlocked. From then on, a new coding challenge comes out each day. Whether you’re a beginner programmer or seasoned professional, there isn’t a better or cozier way to give your problem-solving skills a workout than the fun seasonal challenges from adventofcode.com.
At JetBrains, we’re proud to be supporting Advent of Code this year as one of its top sponsors. Many people across our different teams are already looking forward to solving and discussing the new challenges. To get you in the mood for AOC 2021, we’ve prepared a primer video that covers:
- Basic tips on how to get up and running with solving AOC 2021 in Kotlin.
- A ready-made GitHub template to give you some structure.
- Some of the added incentives we have for those who try their hand at solving the challenges in Kotlin.
Check it out here:
You can also take a look at our selection of Advent of Code solutions from 2020!
Giveaway: Solve problems, win prizes
In addition to having fun and exchanging ideas with the community, our team is giving you an extra reason to share your code on GitHub this year! We’re giving away some Kotlin care packages to sweeten the holiday season for our community.
When we select the lucky winners, we’ll need to be able to find you and your code. So, to enter, make sure you meet the following conditions:
- You have attempted to solve at least three days of AOC 2021.
- You have shared your code publicly on your GitHub account.
- You have added the
aoc-2021-in-kotlintopic to your repository (see below). - You have a contact method (email, Twitter) on your GitHub profile.
To reiterate, you don’t need to be the fastest or complete every single challenge. Take your time, have fun, and use this opportunity to learn something new!
To add the aoc-2021-in-kotlin topic to your repository, edit the repository details by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner on the repository page. Then, in the topics field, add the value.
That’s all you need to do – with a bit of luck, we’ll reach out to you and arrange for your little surprise to be delivered to you!
GitHub template
If you want to start your Advent of Code journey with a bit of structure, you can use our GitHub repository template. It provides you with some basic scaffolding to structure your solutions and do automated testing using JUnit. To get started and receive a customized repository for your personal solutions, just press the “Use this template” button on the repository page. Do not fork the project.
You can find information about the structure of the repository, its content, and where to put your solution files in the template README.
Please note that even when using this template, you’ll have to add the aoc-2021-in-kotlin tag manually to your repository in order to participate in the giveaway.
Solve problems and have fun!
We hope you’re excited for the challenges you’ll be getting each day throughout December, and that you’ll use this opportunity to play with Kotlin and discover something new that will be useful in other contexts.
As a last piece of advice: when doing Advent of Code, take your time, have fun, learn new things, and don’t feel pressured. You might have fun competing with your friends, but the most important thing is for you to enjoy yourself while spending time with the puzzles. After all, Kotlin is meant to be fun!
Enjoy the holiday season, indulge in some treats, and solve some interesting problems with Kotlin. Happy holidays!
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