I myself am a programmer by trade, though I focus more on web-related stuff than hard-core optimization/design/algorithms. I know that a number of other users on this site have at least some knoweledge of computer programming as well.

I was thinking recently of having a computer programming category on this site (potentially this could turn into a whole sub-tree if we get a lot of such puzzles). Such problems could involve such things as clever tricks, semi-obscure algorithms, or perhaps even original or real-life problems.

I'm just wondering what others would think about this before I add a new category, or look for puzzles.

I don't know what you'd put in here that wouldn't go into other slots? I would worry that problems you'd need programs for might exclude anyone who wasn't a programmer...

I'm a little skeptical. Problems like this would be very domain dependent. The answer to your sorting question would look very different depending on whether you're using assembly, C++, SQL, Prolog, or something else. I'd say take a page from the Extreme Programming camp and wait until you have some problems before you worry about the category.

I think that more categories are fine - each user is going to chose on their own which categories etc. they bother with, but I don't think that programming problems would "scare" away very many people here, though there might be a number who aren't interested in them. For example, I rarely give more than a few seconds to a riddle, but I log in about 50,000 times a day anyways.
If you're adverse to creating a group for this, remember that a problem can often fit into more than one category. As a point in fact, I've come up with a preliminary thought about your 1-7 problem that could place it in probabilities" (assuming that my idea works).
I guess that the bottom line is that we shouldn't be losing problems for a lack of a category to house them. (Lateral thinking puzzles anyone?)

Oh... It sounds like a fun idea... I agree with what Cory said.

Dang!

I was actually looking for a sneaky way to offload the task of programming new features onto my visitors :)

I wondered about giving a solution too. I wanted to show a solution like I did with my other submissions, but I thought would that put too much emphasis on one way to do it?

Dunno. Have you written one yet?

Levik, you can submit a problem without even bringing it in the queue. So why don't you post two Model Problems of these type in the corresponding category so that others get a clear idea of it. A maximum of two (ONLY FROM YOU) will do and then the rest will follow the proper rules and will then be submitted. That is, from the list to the queue and then from the queue to the site. What do you and others have to say for this? Please comment. Just an idea from my part. Thank You.

I don't think that would be fair. Here's what we'll do:

There's already a submission from Gamer that is for that category, and it's pretty good.

I will wait a couple of days, and then pick one that I think is the best illustration of the type of puzzle that should be in the category, and push it out of turn (It will be one of the two problems pushed on that day - the other will go through regular voting)

So submit away!