language-tracks/configuration/exercises.md - document reasons a topic should be added about legacy-docs HOT 5 CLOSED

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So, what is the reasoning you choose to use when deciding topics?

I have to admit that I think the C# and F# track isn't very consistent in choosing the topics, freely use both goals. That said, I think it is good to discuss this, so thanks for bringing this up.

What I think we should aim for is to describe what the core topic of the exercise is. What fundamental topic will always hold when dealing with the exercise. That should I think exclude possible topics, that depend on an implementation, such as suggesting a regular expression for the pig-latin exercise, unless of course, you really want people to only solve it using regular expressions (which would be to limiting I think).

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IMHO requirements should not be indicated through topic tags.

I would agree with @ErikSchierboom, to take the pig-latin example, I would likely mark this with a strings topic. The exercise concerns string handling but the student can perform that string handling in any way they choose that satisfies the tests.

Then, if the exercise is specifically intended to have the student use regular expressions then that is a requirement and it should be specifically mentioned in the exercise readme rather than relying on the student to draw requirements by observing topic tags (it likely should be added as a second topic also).

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I think the primary goal is to have topics that are broad and not specific to how the problem will be solved. For example, on the Dart track we have our solution solving the problem in a specific way using enums. The author of adding that problem to the track may only see that as the way to solve the problem, but there are certainly other ways around it.

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It might be useful to handle topics at the problem specifications level

Agreed that it might be useful. I used exercism/exercism#4186 to discuss some particulars of the approach.

To summarise my read of answers from those gathered here, it appears that we favour topics that are essential to the problem and/or without a doubt necessary to to solve the problem, rather than those that are merely a possibility for solving the problem. Examples of support:

describe what the core topic of the exercise is. What fundamental topic will always hold when dealing with the exercise

The exercise concerns string handling but the student can perform that string handling in any way they choose that satisfies the tests.

if the exercise is specifically intended to have the student use regular expressions then that is a requirement and it should be specifically mentioned in the exercise readme [...] (it likely should be added as a second topic also)

think the primary goal is to have topics that are broad and not specific to how the problem will be solved.

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