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Asked: 2024-09-26T04:20:57+05:30 In:

What is the shortest JavaScript function to count vowels in a string under 40 characters?

I’ve been diving into competitive code golfing recently and am really having a blast trying to reduce my code to the minimum possible size! It’s fascinating how some small tweaks can shave off so many characters. However, I’ve hit a bit of a wall, and I’m hoping you can help me out.

So, here’s the deal: I’m working on a simple problem where I need to write a function in JavaScript that takes a string as input and returns the number of vowels in that string. Simple enough, right? The kicker is that the solution has to be as short as possible. Ideally, I’d like it to be under 40 characters.

I’ve seen some crazy techniques out there, like using regex and `.match()`, but I’m trying to wrap my head around how to keep the code both readable and compact. I’ve stumbled upon some interesting `reduce` and `filter` methods, but they’re starting to feel too bulky for this task.

What’s been tripping me up is figuring out how to efficiently count the vowels without repeating character checks or running into unnecessary space. I know that treating the input string as an array could help, and maybe leveraging the `map()` function could be a route to explore. But even then, I fear my character count will skyrocket!

So, here’s where I’d love your input: What’s the shortest solution you’ve been able to come up with for counting vowels in a string? If you could share your code and maybe a brief explanation of how you approached this, it would be super helpful. If there are common pitfalls I should avoid or clever tricks to keep in mind, I’d appreciate that too! Plus, if you have any favorite resources or tips for getting better at this whole golfing thing, throw those my way as well! Looking forward to seeing your creative solutions!

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    2 Answers

    1. “`html




      Vowel Count Code Golf

      Vowel Counting in JavaScript

      Check out this super compact solution:

      
v=>[...v].filter(c=>'aeiou'.includes(c)).length

      Here’s how it works:

      1. We use an arrow function that takes a string v as input.
      2. The spread operator [...v] turns the string into an array of individual characters.
      3. We then use the filter method to keep only the characters that are vowels. This is done by checking if each character c is included in the string 'aeiou'.
      4. Finally, we use length to count the number of vowels found.

      This is a neat trick for keeping the character count low and still getting a readable solution!

      For more code golfing tips:

      • Familiarize yourself with array methods like map, reduce, and filter.
      • Explore regular expressions for pattern matching.
      • Try to think of shortcuts and built-in methods that can help you avoid lengthy code.



      “`


    2. To count vowels in a string with minimal characters, you can use a concise approach utilizing the `.match()` method along with a regular expression to capture all vowels. Here’s a compact solution that fits within your 40-character limit:

      v=>v.match(/[aeiou]/g).length

      This arrow function takes a string v as input, uses the regular expression /[aeiou]/g to find all occurrences of vowels, and the .length property to count them. A potential pitfall to avoid is applying the method to an empty string, as this would return null and subsequently throw an error when trying to access length. For a more robust implementation, you could add a null check or modify the regex to ensure it handles edge cases effectively. Additionally, practicing with various coding challenges on platforms like Code Golf Stack Exchange can significantly enhance your golf skills!


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