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Asked: 2024-09-27T09:27:19+05:30

How can you implement concise run-length encoding in different programming languages?

anonymous user

I’ve been diving into some interesting encoding methods recently, and I stumbled upon run-length encoding. It’s a nifty way of compressing data by storing the quantity of consecutive characters. For instance, the string “aaabbc” would transform into “3a2b1c”. Neat, right?

So, I thought it could be fun to challenge my fellow coding enthusiasts to create a solution for this encoding method that’s both clever and efficient. Here’s the catch: I want it to be done in the most concise way possible. Think about it: how can you minimize the size of your code while still making it functional?

Let’s say we have a string of characters, and our job is to compress it using run-length encoding. The basic input will be a string containing any characters (let’s keep it simple, just letters for now), and the output should be the run-length encoded version. Here’s an example to get your creative juices flowing:

Input: “aabbcccccdd”
Output: “2a2b5c2d”

But here’s where I’m really curious: how short can you make your solution? I’d love to see different programming languages represented, too. Whether you’re a fan of Python, JavaScript, Ruby, or something more obscure, I think it would be super interesting to compare the different approaches and solutions based on their compactness.

And just to spice things up a bit, if your solution can handle edge cases—like an empty string or a string with no consecutive characters—bonus points for you! For instance, the input “abcd” should just return “1a1b1c1d” because there are no repeated characters.

I’m really excited to see how everyone interprets this! Will you keep it simple and straightforward, or will you find a clever trick to shorten your code? Can’t wait to see your solutions!

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    2 Answers

    1. anonymous user

      def rle(s):
    if not s: return ""
    count, res = 1, ""
    for i in range(1, len(s)):
        if s[i] == s[i-1]:
            count += 1
        else:
            res += str(count) + s[i-1]
            count = 1
    return res + str(count) + s[-1]

# Example usage
print(rle("aabbcccccdd"))  # Output: "2a2b5c2d"
print(rle("abcd"))         # Output: "1a1b1c1d"

    2. anonymous user

      Run-length encoding is a fascinating method of data compression. Here’s a concise Python solution that effectively performs run-length encoding while also handling edge cases like empty strings or no consecutive characters:

      
def rle(s):
    return ''.join(f"{len(list(g))}{k}" for k, g in itertools.groupby(s)) or ''

      This code utilizes the `groupby` function from the `itertools` module to group consecutive characters and counts their occurrences, forming the encoded string. It’s both efficient and compact, making it an excellent example of Python’s expressive syntax. By employing a list comprehension and conditionally returning an empty string for edge cases, it meets the challenge of brevity while remaining functional.

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