AdaCore Encourages Ada, Spark for Advent of Code

In a bid to promote the Ada and Spark formal programming languages, AdaCore is encouraging programmers to tackle the Advent of Code challenges using these languages throughout December. This initiative not only bolsters individual programming skills but also contributes to a greater cause.

The Advent of Code, an online annual event cherished by developers since its inception in 2015, launches on December 1st and continues until the 25th. Each day, a new programming puzzle is released on the website, challenging participants of varying skill levels. These puzzles serve a multitude of purposes, such as interview preparation, company training sessions, university coursework, practice exercises, speed competitions, or simply friendly competitive challenges among peers.

All that participants need is a modicum of programming knowledge paired with problem-solving skills, as every puzzle offers a solution feasible within a 15-second execution time on decade-old hardware. This ensures accessibility for a wide range of participants, catering both to beginners and seasoned coders alike.

For the second consecutive year, AdaCore is enhancing the stakes by incentivizing the use of Ada or Spark programming languages. For each Advent of Code challenge completed using the Ada language, AdaCore pledges to donate $10 to the Ada Developers Academy, with a donation cap of $5,000. AdaCore goes a step further by offering a $20 donation for solutions implemented in SPARK, provided these submissions reach at least a “Silver level” by proving the absence of run-time errors.

Those interested in participating can register their solutions via a dedicated thread on the ada-lang.io forum. This space is designed to foster a community spirit among both newcomers and experts, offering support and encouragement through the coding journey.

The culmination of this effort will be visible in early January when AdaCore tallies the registered submissions and makes the corresponding donation to the Ada Developers Academy. This academy plays a significant role in empowering new generations of developers, particularly those from underrepresented groups in the tech industry.

By choosing Ada or Spark for the Advent of Code challenges, participants contribute to the advocacy of safer, more reliable software development while simultaneously supporting an educational cause. This endeavor not only nurtures participants’ programming capabilities but also integrates community development with tangible impacts.

As the festive season beckons, the Advent of Code stands as an exhilarating opportunity to hone coding skills, embrace a supportive community, and aid a beneficial cause through the effort of every line of code written in Ada or Spark. Whether it’s for personal development or educational advancement, participants have much to gain this December by joining AdaCore in this spirited event.