I have been working my way through the Advent of Code series across the last few weeks. This is a side project, allowing me to use some Python skills to solve the various puzzles. I also started to use PowerShell to solve the puzzles, mostly becauase this means I practice new skills.

Note: I urge you to try to work on this yourself, withough reading my solutions. It’s fun and worth some practice. Once you’ve done that, feel free to read on.

Go ahead

Write your own.

Here’s the input:

DECLARE @input VARCHAR(MAX) = ‘()(((()))(()()()((((()(((())(()(()((((((()(()(((())))((()(((()))((())(()((()()()()(((())(((((((())))()()(()(()(())(((((()()()((())(((((()()))))()(())(((())(())((((((())())))(()())))()))))()())()())((()()((()()()()(()((((((((()()())((()()(((((()(((())((())(()))()((((()((((((((())()((()())(())((()))())((((()())(((((((((((()()(((((()(()))())(((()(()))())((()(()())())())(()(((())(())())()()(()(()((()))((()))))((((()(((()))))((((()(()(()())())()(((()((((())((((()(((()()(())()()()())((()((((((()((()()))()((()))()(()()((())))(((()(((()))((()((()(()))(((()()(()(()()()))))()()(((()(((())())))))((()(((())()(()(())((()())))((((())))(()(()(()())()((()())))(((()((()(())()()((()((())(()()((())(())()))()))((()(())()))())(((((((()(()()(()(())())))))))(()((((((())((((())((())())(()()))))()(())(()())()())((())(()))))(()))(()((()))()(()((((((()()()()((((((((()(()(())((()()(()()))(())()())()((())))()))()())(((()))(())()(())()))()((()((()(()()())(())()()()((())())))((()()(()()((()(())()()())(((()(()()))))(())))(()(()())()))()()))))))()))))((((((())))())))(()(())())(()())))))(()))()))))))()((()))))()))))(()(()((()())())(()()))))(((())()))())())())(((()(()()))(())()(())(())((((((()()))))((()(()))))))(()))())(((()()(()))()())()()()())))))))))))))(())(()))(()))((()(())(()())(())())(()())(())()()(()())))()()()))(())())()))())())(())((())))))))(())))(())))))()))))((())(()(((()))))(()))()((()(())))(()())(((((()))()())()()))))()))))()))())(()(()()()))()))))))((()))))))))))()((()))((()(())((())()()(()()))()(()))))()()(()))()))(((())))(())()((())(())(()())()())())))))))())))()((())))()))(()))()()))(((((((()))())(()()))(()()(()))()(()((()())()))))))(((()()()())))(())()))()())(()()))()()))))))))(())))()))()()))))))()))()())))()(())(())))))()(())()()(()()))))())((()))))()))))(()(((((()))))))))())))())()(())()()))))(())))())()()())()()())()(()))))()))()))))))))())))((()))()))()))())))()())()()())))())))(()((())()((()))())))))())()(())((())))))))))))())()())(())())())(()))(()))()))())(()(())())()())()()(()))))(()(())))))))(())))())(())))))))())()()(())())())))(())))))()))()(()())()(()))())())))))()()(()))()))))())))))))))()))))()))))))())()())()()))))()())))())))))))))))()()))))()()(((()))()()(())()))))((()))))(()))(())())))(())()))))))(()))()))))(())())))))()))(()())))))))))))))())))))))))()((()())(()())))))))((()))))(())(())))()(()())())))())())(()()()())))()))))))())))))())()()())))))))))))()()(()))))()())()))((()())(()))))()(()))))))))))()())())(((())(()))))())()))()))()))))))()))))))(()))))()))))()(())))(())))(()))())()()(()()))()))(()()))))))))()))(()))())(()()(()(()())()()))()))))))))(())))))((()()(()))())())))))()))())(()())()()))())))()(()()()()))((())())))())()(()()))()))))))))(()))(())))()))))(()(()())(()))))()())())()))()()))())))))))))))())()))))))()))))))))())))))()))))())(()())))(())()))())())))))()()(()()())(()())))()()))(((()))(()()()))))()))))()))))((())))()((((((()()))))))())))))))))))(((()))))))))))))(())())))))())(()))))))(()))((()))())))()(()((()))()))()))))))))))())()))()(()()))))())))())(())()(()))()))())(()))()))))(()()))()()(())))))()))(())(()(()()))(()()())))))(((()))))))()))))))))))))(())(()))))()())())()()((()()))())))))(()))))())))))))()()()))))))))())))()(((()()))(())))))(((())())))))((()))()(()))(()))))(()())))(()))())))))()))))(())(())))()((()))(())())))()()))()))))))))()))(()()()(()()()(()))())(())()())(((()))(())))))))))(((()())))()()))))))))()(())(()))()((((())(())(()())))()))(((())()()()))((()))(()))())())))())))(()))())()())())(()(())())()()()(())))())(())))(())))(())()))()))(()((()))))))))())(()))))))())(()()))()()))()(()(()())))()()(()((()((((((()))(())))()()()))())()))((()()(()))())((()(()(()))(()()))))()())))()))()())))))))()()((()())(())))()))(()))(())(()))())(()(())))()()))))))(((()(((()()))()(()(())())((()()))()))()))()))()(()()()(()))((()())()(())))()()))(((())()()())(())()((()()()()(()(())(()()))()(((((()())))((())))))(()()()))))(((()(())))()))((()((()(())()(()((())))((()())()(()))(((()())()()(()))(())(((()((()())()((())()())(((()()))((()((())(()))(()())(()()()))((()))(())(()((()()())((()))(())))(())(())(())))(()())))(((((()(()(((((()())((((()(()())(())(()()(((())((()(((()()(((()()((((((())))())(()((((((()(()))()))()()((()((()))))()(()()(()((()()))))))(((((()(((((())()()()(())())))))))()))((()()(())))(())(()()()())))))(()((((())))))))()()(((()(()(()(()(()())()()()(((((((((()()())()(()))((()()()()()(((((((()())()((())()))((((((()(()(()(()())(((()(((((((()(((())(((((((((())(())())()))((()(()))(((()()())(())(()(()()(((()(())()))())))(())((((((())(()()())()()(((()(((())(()(((())(((((((()(((((((((()))(())(()(()(()))))((()))()(())())())((()(()((()()))((()()((()(())(())(()((())(((())(((()()()((((((()()(())((((())()))))(())((()(()((())))(((((()(()()())())((())())))((())((()((()()((((((())(((()()(()())())(()(()))(()(()))())())()(((((((()(((()(())()()((())((()(()()((()(()()(((((((((((())((())((((((())((()((((()(()((((()(((((((())()((()))))())()((()((((()(()(((()((()())))(())())(((()(((())((((((()(((((((((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Now solve it.

Your turn.

Here come my solutions, so don’t scroll down until you’re ready.

Python

I’ve been trying to learn Python, so this was a good chance to practice. Day 1 is fairy simple in Python, since I can do a .count of a string. In my case, I made a function that takes the input and does a count of a particular string.

def calculate_floor(directions):
    print(str(directions.count('(') - directions.count(')')))

This function takes the input and counts the number of open parenthesis, an up, and then subtracts the count of the close parenthesis, the down. I print that, and with the input given on the site, this gives me the correct answer.

PowerShell

I have been trying to improve my PowerShell skills, and this doesn’t really help with lots of the types of things I do in PoSh, but it does help me learn a bit more about the language and practice some code.

In this case, I take a similar approach, which may not be the best. I start by converting the input to an array and then using Where-Object to look for the open parenthesis. I do the same for the close, and then subtract. I don’t know if I could do this in one statement, and didn’t research much. What I found wasn’t helpful, but I was able to solve the puzzle. Perhaps someone will tell me if I can assign two variables at once with different counts.

I did try RegEx, but coulnd’t get it to work, so I moved on. Perhaps I’ll go back to that. Input abbreviated.

$input = ‘()(((()))(()()()((((()(((())(()(()((((((()(()(((()’

$up = ($input.ToCharArray() | Where-Object {$_ -eq ‘(‘} ).Count
$down = ($input.ToCharArray() | Where-Object {$_ -eq ‘)’} ).Count

Write-Host(“Up:” + $up)
Write-Host(“Down:” + $up)
Write-Host(“Final:” + ($up-$down))

T-SQL

This was interesting to me since some of the puzzles I did in Python (I was 6 ahead when I tried new languages), required some parsing. In this case, I decided that I’d do some replacement. I thought that I wanted to count all open parens. How could I do this?

The easy way is to pull out the opens, or remove the closes. REPLACE() does this, so my up was a CTE

WITH UpFloors (UpCount)
AS
( SELECT LEN(REPLACE(@input, ‘)’, ”)) ‘UpFloors’)

Then I did the same for the closes.

WITH UpFloors (DownCount)
AS
( SELECT LEN(REPLACE(@input, ‘(‘, ”)) ‘DownFloors’)

Now I can put them together.

WITH UpFloors (UpCount)
AS
( SELECT LEN(REPLACE(@input, ‘)’, ”)) ‘UpFloors’)
,
DownFloors (DownCount)
AS
( SELECT LEN(REPLACE(@input, ‘(‘, ”)) ‘DownFloors’)
SELECT UpFloors.UpCount – DownFloors.DownCount
FROM UpFloors,  DownFloors

Filed under: Blog Tagged: AdventofCode, powershell, syndicated, T-SQL