Advent of Code 2023

[JoshuaB]

Folks!! It’s almost December! It’s like it keeps happening over and over again!

It's nearly time again for the annual Advent of Code. If you joined us last year, much of the setup will be exactly the same, save for a couple of new items for 2023! For those not familiar, this is a set of 25 puzzles (each with two parts) set by Eric Wastl. They have a Christmas theme and story and are solvable with just a little programming knowledge and some puzzle-solving skills. The puzzles start quite easy and get increasingly more complicated, and part two of each day can often be a lot harder.

As the Alteryx legend himself a few years ago, @AdamR suggested we try solving these AoC puzzles in Alteryx, and so a new annual tradition began. In the past few years, the amazing ACE @jdunkerley79 ran with this, and now that he’s moved on to more amazingness, myself and many of the ACEs didn't want to let this tradition end! It’s worth noting that the puzzles do not necessarily suit Alteryx directly, but trying to think about how to solve them is an excellent chance to sharpen your skills.

We created some rules (because the universe is governed by laws and these… ok I’ll stop now. You get the point) – We will be solving using "BaseA":

• No RunCommand tool
• No Python tool
• No R tool
• No SDK-based Custom Tools (macros are fine)
• No Formula SDK extensions
• No AI (New Rule in 2023!)
• Download tool allowed for downloading (no posting to APIs to get answers from!)

We would love for you to join us!

• We have an Alteryx private leaderboard on the Advent of Code platform you can join by going to this leaderboard page and using the code 908788-a11e85b1.
• Please use either your real name or your community name so we can make sure we 1) Give you proper credit and 2) Don’t accidentally remove you because we think you are a bot or non-Alteryx user.
• We are chatting on the Alteryx Community under the Advent of Code label as well as on our Advent of Code WhatsApp Group

The leaderboard awards points by the order in which they are solved. As the puzzles are published at midnight Eastern time, this gives those who live on the West Coast an advantage (Tell me @NicoleJ, why did I move to Florida again?) Generally, this means it is fairest to look at total stars rather than points.

Now, if that wasn’t enough to convince you, then this surely will. YOU WILL GET AN AoC BADGE, BABY!

Yep, it’s true! You can earn the exclusive AoC Community Badge on your profile by participating in the discussion threads on Community. Isn’t she a beauty?  

For this year, you’ll see Community threads (like this one) started each day in the General Discussion forum for that day’s puzzles, where you can either ask for help or post your solution, much like weekly challenges (don’t forget to hide your answer in a spoiler tag!). Also, a handful of us ACEs will write up our solutions with some alternative solutions from other people every week as a summary for those who can’t keep up on the daily!

Again, if you are up for a challenge and want to grow your Alteryx skills, then this is the event of the year for you and starts on Dec 1st!

The Advent of Code leaderboard only supports up to 200 at a time, so you need to jump in right away as it will fill up quickly. We all help each other, and you’ll get to work alongside the best Alteryx users in the world to really stretch the limits of what Alteryx can do!

Note: There were a handful who signed up and then didn’t end up solving. They have been removed, and assumed that they just got busy with other stuff last year (priorities folks! Priorities!). This is a new year, and everyone is encouraged to sign up and go after it!

Any questions? Please post below or join us on the WhatsApp group linked above! 😊

Please share far and wide with anyone using Alteryx at your organizations!

Now, as a final incentive…I am working on a devious and completely undercover operation to raid the swag closet at Alteryx HQ while no one is looking, so if any of you might want to go ahead and get the most points overall, you know. There might be a package headed your way with a surprise or two 😉