fizzbuzz - can it be shorter?

2 min read 07-10-2024

FizzBuzz: Can It Be Shorter? A Quest for Code Brevity

The FizzBuzz challenge is a classic programming interview question. It seems deceptively simple: write a program that prints numbers from 1 to 100, but replace multiples of 3 with "Fizz", multiples of 5 with "Buzz", and multiples of both 3 and 5 with "FizzBuzz". While seemingly trivial, it's a surprisingly good test of basic programming concepts like loops, conditional statements, and string manipulation.

But what if we wanted to make the code as short as possible? Can we achieve the same result with fewer lines of code? Let's explore!

The Traditional Approach

The most common way to solve FizzBuzz is with a for loop and a series of if statements:

for i in range(1, 101):
  if i % 3 == 0 and i % 5 == 0:
    print("FizzBuzz")
  elif i % 3 == 0:
    print("Fizz")
  elif i % 5 == 0:
    print("Buzz")
  else:
    print(i)

This code is clear and straightforward, but it can be condensed using Python's powerful features.

The Quest for Brevity

Python allows us to use conditional expressions within print statements, eliminating the need for explicit if blocks. Here's a shortened version:

for i in range(1, 101):
  print("Fizz"*(i % 3 == 0) + "Buzz"*(i % 5 == 0) or i)

This code cleverly uses the fact that Python treats True as 1 and False as 0 in multiplication. So, "Fizz"*(i % 3 == 0) will print "Fizz" only if i % 3 == 0, otherwise it will print an empty string. We combine this with a similar expression for "Buzz" and use the or operator to print i if neither condition is met.

Beyond the Basics

While the above code is shorter, it sacrifices some readability. For more complex scenarios, a structured approach is often preferable. Consider using list comprehensions or generators for generating sequences and applying conditional logic.

For example, we can create a list of FizzBuzz outputs using a list comprehension:

fizzbuzz = [
    "FizzBuzz" if i % 15 == 0 else 
    "Fizz" if i % 3 == 0 else 
    "Buzz" if i % 5 == 0 else 
    str(i)
    for i in range(1, 101)
]

print("\n".join(fizzbuzz))

This code effectively uses nested conditional expressions to generate the list of FizzBuzz outputs.

Conclusion

The FizzBuzz challenge is a great way to explore different coding techniques. While short solutions are fun to write, remember that readability and maintainability are crucial aspects of good code. Choose the approach that best balances brevity and clarity for your specific needs.

Further Exploration:

More Compact Solutions: Explore solutions using one-liners or even functional programming techniques like map and filter.
Variants: Experiment with different FizzBuzz variations, such as changing the numbers or introducing new words.
Code Golf: Participate in code golfing challenges where the goal is to minimize the number of characters in your solution.

Remember, the key to good programming is not always about writing the shortest code but about finding the most elegant and effective solution for the problem at hand.

fizzbuzz - can it be shorter?