How to use Topcoder

I have an account in TopCoder .But i don’t know how to start with it and from where?where is questions and how i would know the upcoming contest? From which easy problems should i start?
Please help me.thanks.

2 Likes

Click this link text. Or google Topcoder applet and download the applet. It will look like this one

You will sew this window:
alt text

Here you will need to put your Username and your Password, and then click Go!.

The main window will appear, like in this image:
alt text

Here you can see the people who is online, the chat window, and a menu.

To begin with the problems you will need to open the Practice Rooms Menu → SRM Menu, and then you will see two kind of rooms, DIV 1 and DIV 2. For begginers I recommend to start with DIV 2 (but depends of your previous background), and then open the DIV 2 first room.

Will be like in this image:
alt text

After selecting the SRM you will be redirected to a new page which looks something like this:
alt text
And then wick Select one problem from here:

TCProblems

There are three kind of problems in every room… the numbers are the maximum number of points you will earn for each problem.

Lesser the points, easier the problem it is!

Then you choose the first one, and another window will appear:
alt text

Here you can see the problem statement, the constraints and the examples. You can code directly in the coding area, or in some external program, like Visual Studio(C#), or Eclipse(JAVA), SublimeText, etc.

When you finish to code your problem, you need to paste in the coding area, taking care with the libraries you could need, and then, pass the test cases in the Test button. If all the test cases are passed, then Submit the problem, and only one step left.
alt text
In the main menu, click in Practice Options—>run System Test:
alt text

If all the test have been passed, you will see a windows like this a Green Tick mark:
If there is anything wrong, then that will be showed up.

You can see the green number with the points of the problem, if the number is red, then it means that some test case its wrong. You need to change the problem again, fix the problem, submit again, and then Run System Test again.

If all of these steps have been completed… you are ready to continue coding in TopCoder!

Remember in a real contest, you will not be able to Run the System Test cases. It will be done separately. After contest. So make sure, that you submit the correct solution in the first go! Changing the submitted code will reduce your points by 25%.

19 Likes

goto Competition Arena and download the java web applet to participate or view question of contest. You can also view answers of other participants when the contest is over. So you should start with it.

There is a plugin for those people who are starting topcoder that will help you get more points faster! if you are testing it by each test case then it will take more time! Insread of that install this pluigin and do faster and get more points! Here is the tutorial!

To use kawigiEdit as plugin in topcoder use the following methods:

Open the TopCoder Arena.

Then in the top menu, Options → Editor
alt text

Then “Add” and then put a name, at enrePoint, write “kawigi.KawigiEdit”, and with Browse button, choose the path where you have the kawigiEdit.

And click the checkboxes AtStartup and Default.

Here you will need to restart the Arna to see the changes.

And then when you open a new problem, you will see the editor with several buttons.

All you have to do is to write code, here or in your favorite IDE, and then copy all your code here and click at Run Test.

alt text

This will run all the test cases for you locally.

Its important that you dont delete the part of the code where say: <%:testing-code%>, if you delete it, Kawigi will not work.

Then if you receive:

“You’re a stud (at least on the example cases)!” That means that you have passed all the test.

Then compile your code, and if you are sure, Submit your solution.

If all of these steps have been completed… you are ready to continue coding in TopCoder!

Here is the link to download the plugin.

If you have any kinds of doubts please do post it here!. And if you understood my post please do accept it! :slight_smile:

will this applet run on ubuntu???

@nitya07: You can run this anywhere. The only condition is that you need to have Java 6 or higher should be installed in it :slight_smile: If you have understood and got you wanted please do accept the question so that i can close it! :slight_smile:

1 Like

The credits of the entire screenshots goes to Oscar Bralo! :smiley: and you can visit his blog here! topblogcoder.com/

Thanks bro!! :wink: Well done

yes i guess it will!!

@alethor: haha! thanks bro! You are the hero! The silent protector! The Batman :smiley:

If you got the answer can you please Accept this so that we can close this question? :slight_smile:

Sorry,but how can i accept it?

There is a TICK symbol beneath the Vote-Down Symbol corresponding to each answer! :slight_smile: Thanks!