Competitive coding is a sport, perhaps even an art form. It is an activity that requires creativity and analytical thinking to solve difficult coding problems. In this article, I will explain the most important Benefits of competitive coding.
Introduction to Competitive Coding
Competitive coding includes events (usually held on the Internet) where participants, called sports programmers, solve specific problems or puzzles.
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The judgment, usually performed by host machines, is usually based on the number of problems solved under a time constraint. The goal is to write source code that solves a given logical or mathematical problem.
These competitions have existed since the 1970s, and interest in events has grown significantly over the years, including international competitions and a global community. These events are recognized by several large companies, such as Facebook and Google.
Well-defined problems: during the competition, you will have problems. These problems will be well defined, that is, you will receive constraints of variables, assumptions and any other limitations.
Computer programs: you will write computer programs and source code that solve the given problem. It is important to note that these computer programs are simple command-line programs, not sophisticated graphical interfaces or web applications.
Specified limits: you will be asked to develop a program with a specified duration and memory limit. This constraint will force you to solve problems and develop creative ideas. You will also be forced into a set of programming languages.
Competitive coders participate in competitions like ACM ICPC, Google CodeJam, Facebook HackerCup and many others. In these competitions, competitive coders use their knowledge of Algorithms, Data structures, logical reasons, and other skills to solve difficult algorithmic problems.
This is especially difficult because competitors have to develop programs in a limited amount of time. The most common programming languages for competitive coding are Java and C ++ because of their relative execution efficiency compared to other languages like Python or JavaScript.
The Benefits of Competitive Coding
The skills needed for competitive coding have lasting benefits for your coding career. Participation in competitive coding has many benefits, which includes:
To Get a Job:
Participating in competitive coding can make you a desirable candidate for business. When you participate in big competitions like the ACM International College programming competition, you have a good chance of being on the radar of companies like Apple, Facebook, IBM, Google, etc.
Tech companies follow contests and events to find potential employees. Large competitive programming events are extremely prestigious and difficult to perform, so if you do well, it is an indicator of your talents and technical abilities.
This is why many companies have sponsored programming competitions. So getting a job is one of the most important benefits of competitive coding.
Improves Teamwork:
When you participate in these competitions, you often work as a team, which means that you learn to interact with your teammates during periods of high pressure. This is an extremely important skill.
When you work as a software engineer, you will almost always work with other people, which means that companies care a lot about your communication and team skills. Also, most teams will have a leader.
If you are the team leader, it demonstrates management skills, making you an even more desirable candidate. Companies want to know that you can work efficiently and comfortably with your teammates.
Makes you a Better Coder:
When you train and participate in programming competitions, you become more disciplined, faster, more efficient and, most importantly, a better coder. In this environment, you solve problems and code within a tight time frame. It teaches you to focus on a task and perform it effectively.
If that makes you a better coder, I don’t think you need to look for more benefits to start with competitive coding. So these are the most important advantages of competitive coding. Feel free to ask your valuable questions in the comments section below.
