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cpp/hamming/README.md

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+# Hamming
+
+Write a program that can calculate the Hamming difference between two DNA strands.
+
+A mutation is simply a mistake that occurs during the creation or
+copying of a nucleic acid, in particular DNA. Because nucleic acids are
+vital to cellular functions, mutations tend to cause a ripple effect
+throughout the cell. Although mutations are technically mistakes, a very
+rare mutation may equip the cell with a beneficial attribute. In fact,
+the macro effects of evolution are attributable by the accumulated
+result of beneficial microscopic mutations over many generations.
+
+The simplest and most common type of nucleic acid mutation is a point
+mutation, which replaces one base with another at a single nucleotide.
+
+By counting the number of differences between two homologous DNA strands
+taken from different genomes with a common ancestor, we get a measure of
+the minimum number of point mutations that could have occurred on the
+evolutionary path between the two strands.
+
+This is called the 'Hamming distance'.
+
+It is found by comparing two DNA strands and counting how many of the
+nucleotides are different from their equivalent in the other string.
+
+    GAGCCTACTAACGGGAT
+    CATCGTAATGACGGCCT
+    ^ ^ ^  ^ ^    ^^
+
+The Hamming distance between these two DNA strands is 7.
+
+# Implementation notes
+
+The Hamming distance is only defined for sequences of equal length. This means
+that based on the definition, each language could deal with getting sequences
+of equal length differently.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Make sure you have read the [getting started with C++](http://help.exercism.io/getting-started-with-cpp.html)
+page on the [exercism help site](http://help.exercism.io/).  This covers
+the basic information on setting up the development environment expected
+by the exercises.
+
+## Passing the Tests
+
+Get the first test compiling, linking and passing by following the [three
+rules of test-driven development](http://butunclebob.com/ArticleS.UncleBob.TheThreeRulesOfTdd).
+Create just enough structure by declaring namespaces, functions, classes,
+etc., to satisfy any compiler errors and get the test to fail.  Then write
+just enough code to get the test to pass.  Once you've done that,
+uncomment the next test by moving the following line past the next test.
+
+```C++
+#if defined(EXERCISM_RUN_ALL_TESTS)
+```
+
+This may result in compile errors as new constructs may be invoked that
+you haven't yet declared or defined.  Again, fix the compile errors minimally
+to get a failing test, then change the code minimally to pass the test,
+refactor your implementation for readability and expressiveness and then
+go on to the next test.
+
+Try to use standard C++11 facilities in preference to writing your own
+low-level algorithms or facilities by hand.  [CppReference](http://en.cppreference.com/)
+is a wiki reference to the C++ language and standard library.  If you
+are new to C++, but have programmed in C, beware of
+[C traps and pitfalls](http://www.slideshare.net/LegalizeAdulthood/c-traps-and-pitfalls-for-c-programmers).
+
+## Source
+
+The Calculating Point Mutations problem at Rosalind [view source](http://rosalind.info/problems/hamm/)