What the heck is Competitive Coding?

The Code Panda
5 min readOct 21, 2021

Competitive Coding/ Programming deals with the coding competitions where you’re needed to exhibit your programming abilities in a limited time where contestants have to solve questions of the language of their choice.

Competitive Programming is the most ideal way of investigating your programming abilities through competing with different other significant software engineers across the world and gaining the greatest amount of openness to constant programming. Also, various prestigious stages arrange different coding difficulties for serious programming like HackerRank, TopCoder, CodeChef, and some more.

Benefits

  • Improves logical and programming skills
  • Improves problem-solving skills
  • Many companies like Facebook, Google hires through it

How to prepare for Competitive Coding

  1. Choose a programming language

Start with a programming language you are comfortable with. Be it C, C++, Java, Python. Learn about its syntax and build logic accordingly. Selecting a language whose time of execution is quick is without a doubt going to give you an advantage. C/C++ and Java are moderately quicker, especially when contrasted with dialects like Python. Python is delayed when contrasted with C/C++ and JAVA, that’s the reason exceptionally less number of developers used to do Competitive Programming in Python because of its significant time factor.

2. Data Structures and Algorithms

Start learning data structures and algorithms and gradually master them. Develop knowledge on Trees, Array, Lists. Many of them use different books but also implementing problems at the same time is required. The Algorithm Design Manual is a great book to start with it also supports online lecture facilities.

  • Time / Space complexity- While solving problems in competitive programming this is an important step in determining the verdict of the solution. Always try to think of one solution which takes less memory and time.

3. Consistency

Being patient and consistent in solving problems is the key to becoming a good competitive programmer. Keep practicing questions daily and don’t take a long break from it and also make sure to code a problem again. It takes time for the process all you need is the right effort. Regularly following the schedule would make it easier for you to master the language.

4. Participating in coding contests

Participate in as many as you can, it will help you learn about the question and give a brief about the topics. Your ranking doesn’t matter in the beginning, timely it will show results according to your learning.

Some of the top Competitive programming sites are :

How to choose a suitable programming language?

Stating the first step, a question arises in everyone’s mind, how to choose a programming language? Let’s see about it, and recommend the top 5 languages which are widely used.

  1. C++

To be sure, C++ is one of the most suggested and generally utilized programming dialects for Competitive Programming. C++, created by Bjarne Stroustrup, is a generally quicker programming language in contrast with different other famous dialects. In the meantime, as the execution time assumes a significant part in Competitive Programming, subsequently C++ is the most favored language by the developers. The broadly useful programming language comprises a rich library known as Standard Template Library that makes it simpler for the software engineers to do proficient and compelling programming.

2. JAVA

Here comes one more most suggested programming language for Competitive Programming — JAVA. The item situated language, created in 1995, chips away at Write Once, Run Anywhere idea which suggests that the ordered Java code can be executed on any stage, that upholds Java, without recompilation. Besides, the language is not difficult to learn and you can begin to take in JAVA from different on the web and disconnected assets.

3. Python

Python gives you various motivations to get it for your next Competitive Programming challenge. The significant level programming language is very simple to learn and execute with having exceptionally straightforward punctuation. Besides, the language has a broad library and capacity support which by one way or another expands the proficiency of developers in coding contests. Moreover, the language has a few other beneficial provisions too, for example, no restriction on the number worth, capacities can return more than one worth, code space, powerful info articulations, adaptable number of contentions to a capacity, and so on makes Python an appropriate language for Competitive Programming. Additionally, the language has wide use in different moving areas like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and some more.

4. Ruby

Ruby is likewise one of the most pursued programming dialects in the serious programming world. It is an article arranged programming language that is very easy to understand, adaptable, and simple to learn. In the interim, Ruby is a unique programming language and depends on a few other programming dialects like Perl, Smalltalk, Lisp, Ada, Smalltalk, and Eiffel. However, Ruby is likewise utilized in a wide scope of areas like Web Applications, Database Solutions, Data Science, and some more.

5. Kotlin

To wrap things up — Kotlin. Kotlin, presented in 2011, is a broadly useful programming language that supports object-situated programming ideal models alongside utilitarian programming highlights. The language is not difficult to learn and gives admittance to a rich library including different information structures, assortments, and so forth Also, while programming in Kotlin, you can utilize existing Java Frameworks and Libraries too. The dialects offer different essential provisions that can be advantageous during cutthroat programming like Type Inference, Smart Casts, evades the Null Pointer Exception, and some more. Besides, as Kotlin underscores more meaningful linguistic structure, so it makes it simpler to survey the code, and you can undoubtedly learn and comprehend the language proficiently through different on the web and disconnected assets.

In this way, these are a few best programming dialects for serious programming that can be thought about. Aside from deciding on an important and beneficial programming language, you need to underline more on Algorithm building and Data Structures also.

Conclusion

There’s not any right age to learn you can start learning right away and as soon as your learning is completed you should turn towards serious programming to practice and clean your coding abilities just as check out the codes of different contenders who are master in the specific language. To master Competitive Programming you need devotion, tolerance, and nonstop practice to tackle the issues the most that you can.

Check out Our New and Improved Coding Platform, Let us know your view, and Help us to make competitive coding easy for everyone.

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