AoC Tool

# Data

This tool will allow you to parse problem's input data into an array of strings automatically.

Unfortunately, input data is different for each account. This makes it more difficult to load this data for you. There are two methods:

  • Read data locally: If you create a folder named data by following the folder structure used by aoct, data will be availible automatically into your code.
  • Fetch data from server: The most comfortable idea, but it requires a cookie given to you. This options also allows you to save data locally making load time instantaneous.

# Folder Structure

When saving input into your code, a folder named data at the top level will be required by aoct. Also, you could save some test data to play arround if the problem is been hard.

To sum up, you could place input or test files, with .txt extensions as it follows:

.
├── data
│   └── 2021
│       ├── day1
│       │   ├── input.txt
│       │   └── test.txt
│       ├── day2
│       └── day3
│
├── aoct.json
└── src

# Fetch Data

This method will allow you to forget about copying by hand every input puzzle by fetching it for you. To do it, your session cookie is required.

WARNING

This explanation assumes you're using Chrome. But it is no really hard to guess how to do it on other browsers.

To retrieve your session, follow the steps:

  1. Open adventofcode.com (opens new window).
  2. Log in.
  3. Open Chrome Devtools (F12).
  4. Go to Application tab.
  5. On the sidebar, under Storage section, expand Cookies and click on https://adventofcode.com.
  6. Now you're seeing 3 cookies, one of them must be session. Copy it's value!
  7. Open your aoct.json and save your cookie with key "session".
{
    "session": "YOUR PRIVATE KEY"
}

# Usefull information

Now you have your session set up, you're problably done. But here it is some usefull information you'll like to know.

What happens now if I write a file under data folder?

Well, data is exclusively reserved for aoct. That's why any file found under this folder will be read and loaded even if session is specified. If any file is found and data cannot be fetched you won't receive any data, although your code will be executed anyways.

Otherwise, this behavior affects only input because test cannot be fetched, only read.

Fetch data takes so long

Retrieve data from the server takes a while. This could be enhanced by saving retrieved data if you specify it inside configuration.

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