I saw the post from Steve Jones about the Advent of Code contest and decided to take a look. The first one is about figuring out which floor Santa is on based on the characters in the string. I don’t know that I’ll do all of them, but it was a nice break from other stuff I was doing. Here’s my TSQL solution:
declare @x varchar(8000) = ‘((((()(()(((((((()))(((()((((()())(())()(((()((((((()((()(()(((()(()((())))()((()()())))))))))()((((((())((()))(((((()(((((((((()()))((()(())()((())((()(()))((()))()))()(((((()(((()()))()())((()((((())()())()((((())()(()(()(((()(())(()(())(((((((())()()(((())(()(()(()(())))(()((((())((()))(((()(()()(((((()()(()(((()(((((())()))()((()(()))()((()((((())((((())(()(((())()()(()()()()()(())((((())((())(()()))()((((())))((((()())()((((())((()())((())(())(((((()((((()(((()((((())(()(((()()))()))((((((()((())()())))(((()(()))(()()(()(((()(()))((()()()())((()()()(((())())()())())())((()))(()(()))(((((()(()(())((()(())(())()((((()())()))((((())(())((())())((((()(((())(())((()()((((()((((((()(())()()(()(()()((((()))(())()())()))(())))(())))())()()(())(()))()((()(()(())()()))(()())))))(()))(()()))(())(((((()(()(()()((())()())))))((())())((())(()(())((()))(())(((()((((((((()()()(()))()()(((()))()((()()(())(())())()(()(())))(((((()(())(())(()))))())()))(()))()(()(((((((()((((())))())())())())()((((((((((((((()()((((((()()()())())()())())())(())(())))())((()())((()(()))))))()))))))))))))))))())((())((())()()))))))(((()((()(()()))((())(()()))()()())))(())))))))(()(((())))())()())))()()(())()))()(()))())((()()))))(()))))()))(()()(())))))))()(((()))))()(()))(())())))))()))((()))((()))())(())))))))))((((())()))()))()))())(())()()(())))())))(()())()))((()()(())))(())((((((()(())((()(((()(()()(())))()))))))()))()(()((()))()(()))(()(((())((((())())(())(()))))))))())))))))())())))))())))))()()(((())()(()))))))))())))))(())()()()))()))()))(()(())()()())())))))))())()(()(()))))()()()))))())(()))))()()))))()())))))(((())()()))(()))))))))))()()))))()()()))))(()())())()()())()(()))))()(()))(())))))))(((((())(())())()()))()()))(())))))()(()))))(())(()()))()())()))()))()))()))))())()()))())())))(()))(()))))))())()(((())()))))))))()))()())))())))())))()))))))))))()()))(()()))))))(())()(()))))())(()))))(()))))(()())))))())())()()))))())()))))))))(()))))()))))))()(()())))))))()))())))())))())))())))))))())(()()))))))(()())())))()())()))))))))))))))())))()(())))()))())()()(())(()()))(())))())()())(()(()(()))))())))))))))))())(()))()))()))))(())()())()())))))))))))()()))))))))))))())())))))(()())))))))))))())(())))()))))))))())())(()))()))(())))()))()()(())()))))))()((((())()))())())))))()))()))))((()())()))))())))(())))))))))))))))))()))))()()())()))()()))))())()))((()())))())))(()))(()())))))))()))()))))(())))))))(())))))())()()(()))())()))()()))))())()()))))())()))())))))))(()))))()())()))))))))(()))())))(()))()))))(())()))())())(())())())))))))((((())))))()))()))()())()(())))()))()))()())(()())()()(()())()))))())())))))(()))()))))())(()()(())))))(())()()((())())))))(())(())))))))())))))))))()(())))))))()())())())()(()))))))))(()))))))))())()()))()(()))))))()))))))())))))))(())))()()(())()())))))(((())))()((())()))())))(()()))())(())())))()(((()())))))()(()()())))()()(()()(()()))())()(()()()))())()()))()())(()))))())))))())))(())()()))))(()))))(())(()))(())))))()()))()))))())()))()()(())())))((()))())()))))))()()))))((()(()))))()()))))))())))))())(()((()())))))))))))()())())))()))(()))))))(()))(())()())))(()))))))))())()()()()))))(()())))))))((())))()))(()))(())(())()())()))))))))(())))())))(()))()()))(()()))(()))())))()(())))())((()((()(())))((())))()))))((((())())()())))(())))()))))))())(()()((())))())()(()())))))(()())()))())))))))((())())))))))(()(()))())()()(()()(((()(((()())))))()))))))()(())(()()((()()(())()()))())()())()))()())())())))))))(((())))))))()()))))))(((())()))(()()))(()()))))(()(()()((((())()())((()()))))(()(())))))()((()()()())()()((()((()()))(()))(((()()()))(((())))()(((())()))))))((()(())())))(()())(((((()(()))(()((()))(()())()))))(()(()))()(()))(())(((())(()()))))()()))(((()))))(()()()()))())))((()()()(())()))()))))()()))()))))))((((((()()()))))())((()()(((()))))(()(())(()()())())())))()(((()()))(())((())))(()))(()()()())((())())())(()))))()))()((()(())()(()()(())(()))(())()))(())(()))))(())(())())(()()(()((()()((())))((()))()((())))(((()()()()((((()))(()()))()()()(((())((())())(()()(()()()))()((())(())()))())(((()()(())))()((()()())()())(()(())())(((())(())())((())(())()(((()()))(())))((())(()())())(())((()()()((((((())))((()(((((())()))()))(())(()()))()))(())()()))(())((()()())()()(()))())()((())))()((()()())((((()())((())())())((()((()))()))((())((()()(()((()()(((())(()()))))((()((())()(((())(()((())())((())(()((((((())())()(()())()(())(((())((((((()(())(()((()()()((()()(()()()())))()()(((((()()))()((((((()))()(()(()(()(((()())((()))())()((()))(())))()))()()))())()()))())((((())(()(()))(((((((())(((()(((((()(((()()((((())(((())())))(()()()(()(()))()))((((((()))((()(((()(())((()((((()((((((())(((((())))(((()(()))))(((()(((())()((())(()((()))(((()()(((())((((()(()(((((()))(((()(((((((()(()()()(()(()(()()())(())(((((()(())())()())(()(()(()))()(()()()())(()()(()((()))()((())())()(()))((())(()))()(()))()(((()(()(()((((((()()()()())()(((((()()(((()()()((()(((((()))((((((((()()()(((((()))))))(()()()(())(()))(()()))))(())()))(((((()(((((()()(()(()())(((()))((((()((()(()(()((()(()((())))()(((()((()))((()))(((((((((()((()((()(())))()((((()((()()))((())(((()(((((()()(()(()()((()(()()()(((((((())())()())))))((((()()(()))()))(()((())()(()(((((((((()()(((()(()())(()((()())((())())((((()(((()(((()((((()((()((((()(()((((((())((((((((((((()()(()()((((((((((((((()((()()))()((((((((((((())((((()(()())((()(()(()))()(((((()()(((()()))()())(())((()(((((()((())(((((()((()(((((()))()()((((())()((((())(((((((((()(())(()(())))())(()((())(((())(())(())())(()(()(())()()((()((())()(((()(((((()(())))()(((()((())))((()()()(((()(((()((()(()(())(()((()())(()(()(((()(((((((((())(()((((()()))(()((((()()()()(((()((((((((()(()()((((((()(()()(()((()((((((((((()()(((((((()())(())))(((()()))(((((()((()()())(()()((((())((()((((()))))(())((()(()()(((()(()(((()((((()(((((()))())())(()((())()))(((()())((())((())((((()((()((((((())(()((((()()))((((((())()(()))((()(((())((((((((((()()(((((()(((((()((()()()((((())))(()))()((()(())()()((()((((((((((()((())(())(((((()(()(()()))((((()((((()()((()(((()(((((((((()(()((()((()))((((((()(((())()()((()(((((((()())))()()(()((()((()()(((()(()()()()((((()((())((((()(((((((((()(((()()(((()(()(((()(((()((())()(()((()(()(()(()))()(((()))(()((((()((())((((())((((((())(()))(()((((())((()(()((((((((()()((((((()(()(()()()(())((()((()()(((()(((((((()()((()(((((((()))(((((()(((()(()()()(()(((()((()()((())(()(((((((((()(()((()((((((()()((())()))(((((()((())()())()(((((((((((()))((((()()()()())(()()(()(()()))()))(()))(()(((()()))())(()(()))()()((())(()())()())()(()))()))(()()(()((((((())((()(((((((((((()(())()((()(()((()((()(()((()((((((((((()()())((())()(())))((())()())()(((((()(()())((((()((()(())(()))(((())()((()))(((((())(()))()()(()))(((())((((()((((()(())))(((((((()))))())()())(())((())()(()()((()(()))()(()()(()()((()())((())((()()))((((()))()()))(()()(())()()(((((()(())((()((((()))()))(()())())(((()()(()()))(())))))(()))((())(((((()((((()))()((((()))()((())(((())))(((()())))((()(()()((‘
print (len(@x) – len(replace(@x, ‘(‘, ”))) – (len(@x) – len(replace(@x, ‘)’, ”)))
SQLAndy 
I read your answer…checked it twice…wasn’t sure if it was naughty or nice. Just as important as having the right answer is being able to read the code, so here’s my version:
WITH UpsAndDowns AS (
SELECT Downs = LEN(REPLACE(@x, ‘(‘, ”))
, Ups = LEN(REPLACE(@x, ‘)’, ”))
)
SELECT Ups – Downs
FROM UpsAndDowns
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Agree yours looks better! The key here, to me anyway, is avoiding the loop which seems like the obvious way to solve it.
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That’s exactly what I started to consider when first looking at it. I admit it, I cheated by looking at your answer. However, even with me cheating, it’s still interesting enough where I moved on to the second day and will probably put out a blog post about the experience.
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2nd day is the wrapping paper one? I looked at it, trying to think if there is a shortcut to calculating the slack.
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Sorry, I wasn’t watching the comments on this post. I did the second day (and 3, 4, 5, and 6) and came up with a way of doing the slack. It’s not exactly pretty, but it’s set based.
http://simplesqlserver.com/2015/12/23/advent-of-code/
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Im working on day 2 today, will read your post after I figure mine out (or give up!).
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