3 ms·
I had the same problem with Microsoft (atoi), and the same issue with the interviewer (being a C guy)...the issue there was that he thought (stringInstance).len
by lostcolony 10y ago
I had the same problem with Microsoft (atoi), and the same issue with the interviewer (being a C guy)...the issue there was that he thought (stringInstance).length() was an O(n) op, so the fact I was calling it in my loop meant my algorithm was O(n^2). My explaining that, no, Java stores the length as part of the object...kinda tanked the interview.
- linkregister 10y agoYou describe the "interview anti-loop," a term coined by Steve Yegge, a prolific blogger who wrote about the Google interview process. Better luck next time. I've come across it a few times myself. Also I've legitimately bombed interviews, sending apology emails to the recruiter immediately after leaving.
- lostcolony 10y agoOh, there won't be a next time. A bit of sour grapes, but I also legitimately don't want to work for Microsoft. Even then it was more exploring my options; that interview tanking was more cynically amusing than it was disheartening.
- exabrial 10y agoHad a similar argument about forgetting the null terminator.