Okay folks, this should be simple, but maybe not.
The goal is to write a function that takes a positive integer and returns a list of its prime factors. So if you did 12 you should get the list [2, 2, 3]
As neither 1 nor zero are prime, as a result should return an empty list.
This is taken from a #tdd #Kata, so if you have not done this one I encourage you to do so. If you are not into #TDD then solve it however you like.
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@Absinthe Easy to solve yes, but rather difficult to solve efficiently!
When I say TDD, I mean it is the way of design and development. (maybe even a way of life :D )
This means following the 3 laws:
1. You are not allowed to write any production code unless it is to make a failing unit test pass.
2. You are not allowed to write any more of a unit test than is sufficient to fail; and compilation failures are failures.
3. You are not allowed to write any more production code than is sufficient to pass the one failing unit test.
Using a Red-Green-Refactor work flow. Write just enough of a unit test for the simplest unit test. Then see that test fail(Red). Then write the SIMPLEST solution in the code to make it pass. (Green) Then refactor to remove complexity and simplify. Lather, rinse, repeat.
@freemo @namark @Lossberg The factorization problem/kata is one that I particularly enjoy, because when I am done, and I look at the 6 lines of python that it generates... I always shake my head and say "I would not have written that no matter how long I sat there, or how many times I tried." Humor me, and let's see if you see similar things....
@freemo @namark @Lossberg I realize you enjoy different types of problems, and different types of solutions. So maybe even the suggestion of this is something you may find no interest in. I can accept that. I would encourage everyone, even you to give it a try (at that absolutely ridiculous level of pragmatically following the 3 laws and using the R-G-R workflow) Maybe you will get something out of it, maybe you won't.
And by pragmatically, I mean your first test would look like:
def test_factor_zero_return_empty():
assert factor(0) == []
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and the first code that makes it pass is:
def factor(num):
return []
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That is the level or pragmatism I am speaking of.
@freemo @namark @Lossberg see if you see it generate an algorithm different from what you might have done not doing it that way.