Welcome to The Elf Zone 🎄

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Goals
3. Getting Started
4. General Guidelines
5. Pull Request (PR) Template
6. Code of Conduct
7. Contact

Introduction

The Elf Zone is a public repository dedicated to helping beginning developers enhance their coding skills by participating in Advent of Code challenges. This project is designed to foster collaboration, mentorship, and peer learning within a welcoming and inclusive community of developers.

Advent of Code is a series of programming challenges that are released every December. By solving these problems and submitting your solutions for review, you can receive feedback, learn from others, and track your progress over time.

Goals

Our primary goals for The Elf Zone are as follows:

1. Skill Improvement: Help beginning developers improve their programming skills through real-world problem-solving.

2. Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where developers can share their solutions, receive constructive feedback, and learn from others.

3. Community: Build a supportive and inclusive community of developers passionate about coding and problem-solving.

Getting Started

To get started with The Elf Zone, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository to your local machine:

     git clone https://github.com/sphimmer/elf_zone.git

2. Create a branch following this naming convention: <your-github-username>/whatever-you-want

   git checkout -b "<branchname>"

3. Solve Advent of Code problems using your preferred programming language. Advent of Code website In your first commit, create a folder that is just your github username. All your code will go here. Maybe add a readme file about yourself and goals
4. Submit a Pull Request (PR) to the repository, following the guidelines below.
5. Review and incorporate feedback from the community to improve your solutions.
6. Share your progress, experiences, and learnings with others in the community.

General Guidelines

Respect: Be respectful and considerate when providing feedback on others' code.

Inclusivity: We welcome developers of all skill levels, backgrounds, and identities. Discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated.

Code Quality: Strive for clean, readable, and efficient code. Follow best practices in your chosen programming language.

Original Work: Ensure that the code you submit is your original work. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited.

Folder Structure: Organize your code within your personal folder, preferably using the following structure: your-username/year/problem_number/.

Documentation: Include comments and documentation in your code to make it more accessible to others.

Keep It Fun: Remember, the primary goal is learning and enjoying the process of solving challenges.

Pull Request (PR) Template

When submitting a Pull Request (PR) to The Elf Zone, please follow this template:

**Challenge Name**: Name of the Advent of Code challenge

**Link**: Provide a link to the challenge

**Year**: Year of the challenge (e.g., 2023)

**Programming Language**: Your chosen language (e.g., Python, JavaScript)

**Description**:
Provide a brief description of your solution and any additional information you find relevant.

**Changes Made**:
Describe the changes you've made, the algorithm used, and any optimizations or improvements.

**To-Do**:
List any specific questions or areas where you'd like feedback.

**Testing**:
Explain how you've tested your solution and include sample test cases if applicable.

**Additional Notes**:
Any additional comments or observations about your code or the challenge.

Code of Conduct

We expect all contributors and participants in The Elf Zone to adhere to our Code of Conduct. Please review it carefully to understand the expected behavior and consequences for violations.

Contact

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, feel free to reach out to the repository owner or maintainers through issues. Maintainer: @sphimmer