Hello.

There are many programming contests and websites for problem solving. Do you like to solve problems and when do you use Perl? Can you suggest programming contests or websites with string problems or something at which Perl excels?

Usually in programming contests there are algorithmic problems. You are given some task, which contain: 1. problems description, 2. input constraints and format, 3. output format, 4. time and memory limits. Then you write and submit some code, and testing system tests your code using some test cases which you do not know, except you know constraints. After testing, system tells verdict: accepted, wrong-answer, time-limit-exceeded or something else.
Some examples of online contests are: codeforces (many languages available, Perl including), topcoder; some examples of online judges are: SPOJ, ProjectEuler, Timus, Rosalind. Some online judges like Project Euler accepts only answers, not code. Majority of people write solutions for these problems in C++ language. Less people use Java, C, Python, Pascal. That is because C++ is fast and short to express and have macros. Many problems are composed in such way that only very fast algorithm can solve all edge cases in a given time limit. For example if author's solution solve the problem in 1 s, then time limit can be set around 2-5 s. If author solved with C++, then it is often impossible to achieve such speed with higher level languages, like Perl or Python. So, Perl was used mostly not in usual competitive programming, but in golf contests :D

I am using Perl in contests for fun and am solving easiest tasks, when tasks which are more difficult require better understanding of algorithms and data structures.

If you want to try Perl in solving some string problems, I can suggest codeforces.com -> problemset and choose tag "strings". You can see pieces of test cases and solutions of other users to comparison code and comparison time program consumed on each test case. If you have a nice solution for a problem or you are stuck in it you can start discussion here(?). Websites have their own forums/blogs for discussing problems, but usually these discussions are not language specific. That discussions can be about which Perl structures to use to gain better speed or similar. While using Perl I've discovered that many my solutions on simple tasks are about the same speed as Python users. And do you know if any of more popular online judge systems are written in Perl?

In reply to Perl in programming contests and problem solving by rsFalse

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