Programming Challenges

Build a URL shortener that converts a long URL into a short one and allows users to retrieve the original URL from the shortened version. Basic Requirements: Accept a long URL as input and return a shortened URL. Store the mapping between the long and short URLs. Accept a shortened URL as input and return the original long URL. Bonus Features: Use a hashing algorithm to generate the short URL. Add error handling to check if the input URL is valid. Implement file-based persistence so the mapping is saved between runs. Example Output: Enter a long URL: https://codenamejessica.com/forums/forum/9-programming-challenges …

Write a BASH script that performs a backup of a specified directory to a target location. The script should include the following functionality: Basic Requirements: Accept two arguments: Source directory Target backup location Verify that both the source and target locations exist. Create a timestamped backup folder in the target location. Log the backup process, including the time taken and the number of files backed up. Bonus Features: Implement compression (e.g., using tar or zip) for the backup. Add error handling to catch issues like missing arguments or permission errors. Allow for…

Create a command-line to-do list application that allows users to manage their tasks. The app should have the following functionality: Basic Features: Add a new task with a description. Mark a task as complete. Delete a task by its ID. List all tasks, showing their status (e.g., completed or pending). Bonus Features: Add due dates to tasks. Allow users to edit tasks. Save tasks to a file so they persist between runs. Example Output: Welcome to the To-Do List App! 1. Add Task 2. Complete Task 3. Delete Task 4. View Tasks 5. Exit Enter your choice: 1 Enter task description: Complete the Programming Challenge T…

Write a program that checks the strength of a password based on the following criteria: Password Strength Rules: Must be at least 8 characters long. Must contain at least one uppercase letter. Must contain at least one lowercase letter. Must contain at least one number. Must contain at least one special character (e.g., !@#$%^&*()). Program Requirements: Accept user input for the password. Check the password against the rules and rate it as: Weak if it meets 1-2 rules. Moderate if it meets 3-4 rules. Strong if it meets all 5 rules. Provide feedback to the user on wha…

Write a program that reads a server log file and analyzes it to provide the following information: The total number of requests. The top 5 IP addresses making requests. The most requested resource (URL). The number of 4xx and 5xx error codes encountered. Bonus: Add a feature to identify failed login attempts by looking for specific patterns like "login failed" or "authentication error." Allow the user to input the path to the log file. Example Output: Total Requests: 12,345 Top 5 IPs: 1. 192.168.1.1 - 1,234 requests 2. 10.0.0.5 - 987 requests ... Most Requested Resource: /index.html 4xx Errors: 456 5xx Errors: 123

Challenge: Write a program that checks if a given string is a palindrome. A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or sequence of characters that reads the same backward as forward, ignoring spaces, punctuation, and capitalization. Requirements: Accept user input for the string. Normalize the string by removing non-alphanumeric characters and converting it to lowercase. Check if the normalized string is a palindrome. Print True or False based on the result. Bonus: Extend the program to handle numeric palindromes (e.g., 12321). Allow the user to check multiple strings in one run. Example Output: Input: "A m…

Write a program that calculates the Nth Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci sequence is defined as follows: F(0) = 0 F(1) = 1 F(n) = F(n-1) + F(n-2) for n > 1 Requirements: Allow the user to input the value of N. Implement the program in two ways: Using recursion. Using iteration (for efficiency with larger N). Optimize the recursive solution with memoization or dynamic programming to handle larger values of N. Bonus: Print the time taken by both methods to compute the result for comparison. Example Output: For N = 10, the result should be 55.

Objective Build a countdown timer that counts down to midnight on New Year's Eve. Once the timer hits zero, display a celebratory animation or message. Requirements Timer Functionality: The countdown should accurately show the time left (in days, hours, minutes, and seconds) until midnight on New Year’s Eve. User Timezone: Account for the user’s local timezone to ensure accuracy. Celebration Effect: Display a festive animation or message when the timer hits zero (e.g., fireworks, confetti, or a celebratory sound). Language/Framework: Use…

Objective Implement a pathfinding algorithm (e.g., Dijkstra’s or A*) to find the shortest path between two points on a grid. Requirements Grid Representation: Create a 2D grid where each cell represents walkable terrain or an obstacle. Algorithm: Implement a pathfinding algorithm like Dijkstra’s or A*. The algorithm should find the shortest path between a start and an end point, avoiding obstacles. Visualization: Print the grid showing the path taken. For example: S for start E for end X for obstacles …

Objective Build a mini weather dashboard using a programming language and framework of your choice. The dashboard should display current weather information for at least one location. Requirements Weather Data: Fetch live weather data using a public API (e.g., OpenWeatherMap or WeatherAPI). User Input: Allow the user to input a city name or ZIP code to get the weather details. Display: Present key information like temperature, weather condition (e.g., sunny, rainy), and wind speed in a clean format. Error Handling: Handle errors graceful…

Challenge: Create a RESTful API that serves inspirational quotes. The API should allow users to: Fetch a random quote Fetch a quote by ID Add a new quote Requirements: Use any programming language or framework (e.g., Python with Flask, Node.js with Express, etc.). Store the quotes in a file (JSON, text, or CSV) or a database. Return responses in JSON format. Bonus Points: Implement authentication for adding a new quote. Include a search endpoint to find quotes by keyword. Deploy your API using a lightweight server manager like PM2 or Docker. Example Endpoints: GET /quote/random - Retur…