Code examples and interviews



  • @MonkeyCode said:

    @tster said:

    Complete the following function:

    List<int> findAllOccurences(char[ text, char[ token)  { }

     Sorry, but you've missed the point of the exercise on a few levels. The idea isn't for the potential hire to develop a character searching algorithm. It's for them to display that 

    a) they can understand a reasonably defined question. ( It's a better defined question that you'll ever get in your carreer as a developer. You're either a pedant or not good enough if you have issues with it - neither of which are desirable attributes)

    b) they have a rudimentary knowledge of how .net works (ie, a string can be represented as a char array)

    c) they can write a simple application, which works. ( the style of which gives a reasonably good indication of their coding ability.)

     

    With your version, you've essentially given them the answer, and also have given them the ability to do the brain dead easy

    string textToSearch = new string(text)

    string subtext = new string(token)

    allowing them to use textToSearch.IndexOf(subtext) - which takes away the point of the exercise.

     

    The real wtf is that this article actually generated more conversation than "oh my god, what an idiot" 


     

    If the point was for them to understand a problem then they should be able to ask the person questions about the problem.  The fact that he posted it on a forum made me assume that this was like a prescreening thing that was emailed to him and questions aren't exactly easy to ask.  If I assumed wrong, then that's my bad.



  • @tster said:

    shit.  I left out a "not"  I meant, you are NOT allowed to use any functions/properties except: ... 

     

    I am sure it was just the editor's fault.



  • @tster said:

    ...blah blah blah...

    For the love of God, can't we let this fucking thing die?  Your misunderstanding of the instructions is almost excusable, but the energy you've devoted to pulping this dead horse is not.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @tster said:

    ...blah blah blah...

    For the love of God, can't we let this fucking thing die?  Your misunderstanding of the instructions is almost excusable, but the energy you've devoted to pulping this dead horse is not.

     

    the energy you used to make fun of me using energy is is the real WTF.  If you don't care then don't read it, pretty simple. 



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    For the love of God, can't we let this (***) thing die? 

     

    Not until Polly gets here with my tea! 



  •  @medialint said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    For the love of God, can't we let this (***) thing die? 

     

    Not until Polly gets here with my tea! 

    ROFLMAO

    Nominated for post of the day!



  • @Aaron said:

    @tster said:
    If you ask me, this question is worded so poorly that I wouldn't want to work there anyways.
    And that seems to be a major part of the problem with 90% of the pool out there - their instructions have to be so specific and perfect that by the time I'm finished writing them, I might as well have just done the job myself.

    If you consider yourself to be anything more than a code monkey, you have to learn to deal with ambiguity.  If I have to give detailed directions, I might as well give them to the computer, whom I at least know will follow them consistently and accurately.

     

     Red Gate has the best pre-screening questions of any software company that I have seen so far. Not only does it expect the candidate to design a common solution to a few similar but slightly different problems and write correct multithreaded code, but they also underspecify the problems on purpose. All assumptions you make should be commented, and you are judged based on the possible problems or exceptional cases you considered!

     (Note to any Red Gaters - don't worry, this does message not give away any confidential information or help future applicants, but might improve hiring in the industry as a whole :)



  • @mattiaza said:

    this does message not give away any confidential information or help future applicants, but might improve hiring in the industry as a whole
     

    Or rather, it revives a thread that has been dead for months....



  • @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    Or rather, it revives a thread that has been dead for months....

     

    True. Thread locked to prevent repeat offenders. 



  • @ammoQ said:

    Thread locked
     

    I beg to differ.



  • @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    @ammoQ said:

    Thread locked
     

    I beg to differ.

    ammoQ is merely testing our faith.  I believe the thread is locked because ammoQ says it is so. 



  • TRWTF is the forum software. Let's give it another shot: abra cadabra, lockedy-lockedy-lock 


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