4 ms·

And what data structure do you use when you have to insert and remove efficiently many items from a container ? For example when you have a big queue ?

erikrothoff 9y ago
You use the language native array implementation until your queue gets so huge that it's actually a problem to add or remove items. Everything else is just premature optimisation. Modern web programming has the luxury of fast iteration cycles so any problem that appear at scale are easily and swiftly fixed. I'm really curious if you could point to a real world example where a custom data structure is needed, where it's not written for performance critical reasons?
- leaveyou 9y ago
  Oh, the "premature optimization" trump card.. OK, you won. You can go write programs without knowing CS 101 now.
  - hycaria 9y ago
    I had CS classes but in my work I do 80% front (because I enjoy it actually) and 20% back. Not using anything fancy in my work though. So how does one avoid being classified like you do ? (well you edited, your original post had Just call it "frontend dev"., but my question still stands, how can I counter the prejudices you seem to have ?)
    - leaveyou 9y ago
      Know what a linked list is, its advantages and drawbacks.
      - hycaria 9y ago
        I have, but I don't see it coming up much except during an interview maybe.
        leaveyou 9y ago
        Well if you know that then this sub thread is not about you. Move on. This thread was about people who insist that they are fine being ignorant about basic knowledge.
        FLUX-YOU 9y ago
        https://twitter.com/Hillelogram/status/962424365819277312 https://twitter.com/Hillelogram/status/962424365819277312 Have fun
        leaveyou 9y ago
        Can you think of anyone who is or could be a good SWE that cannot do some basic things with a linked list given some hints and collaboration? edit: front end devs.. LOL, you hold dear that delusion :-)
        FLUX-YOU 9y ago
        Yeah, front end devs.
        erikrothoff 9y ago
        You seem to have painted yourself into the corner where you're not willing to accept the reasoning everyone else has provided in the comments. The point has always been that any developer can learn what a linked list is with hints and collaboration. The prejudice that I see in this thread is that: Only people who already know what a linked list is can call themselves a developer. A developer will learn if she needs to what a linked list is. If tasked with something requiring one a developer will simply learn the theory behind linked lists and be able to execute it. In reality however, they probably won't because most day-to-day tasks don't.
always_good 9y ago
The thing is that you can build applications full-time for years where you just aren't doing that ever. I don't remember the last time I had a queue so large and in such a hot loop that it would matter, for example. And it was a channel. Lately it's been browser-side code in an interactive online game that has gotten me to think about data access patterns again so that it performs well on slow phones, but that's just not what most people are working on. We have this whole belabored HN meme where people complain how the internet is for documents, not applications. Do people in these comments really think generating those documents involves heavy data access patterns?
- leaveyou 9y ago
  >you can build applications full-time for years And then "being an experienced app builder" you decide to create Electron.. and now I have to use Electron applications which are productive and necessary (VS Code) but are frustrating like hell on anything but recent hardware because some moron somewhere doesn't know when to use linked lists instead of arrays.
  - tiraralabasura 9y ago
    Sounds like you're arguing that Cheng Zhao is not a developer and the kind of "designer"/"app builder" that companies should try to avoid by asking "what is a linked list" and other theoretical questions during job interviews.
tiraralabasura 9y ago
I think it's safe to assume that every developer who has got a bachelor degree knows what a linked list is (and is familiar with other data structures as well). However, many incredibly talented developers haven't bothered to memorize how these data structures work and their advantages/disadvantages, and whenever they encounter a situation where they need it, then they can simply Google the best solution within a couple of seconds/minutes. That's why these 'technical interviews' are so ridiculous, because they test theoretical abilities rather than programming abilities.

erikrothoff 9y ago

You use the language native array implementation until your queue gets so huge that it's actually a problem to add or remove items. Everything else is just premature optimisation. Modern web programming has the luxury of fast iteration cycles so any problem that appear at scale are easily and swiftly fixed. I'm really curious if you could point to a real world example where a custom data structure is needed, where it's not written for performance critical reasons?

leaveyou 9y ago
Oh, the "premature optimization" trump card.. OK, you won. You can go write programs without knowing CS 101 now.
- hycaria 9y ago
  I had CS classes but in my work I do 80% front (because I enjoy it actually) and 20% back. Not using anything fancy in my work though. So how does one avoid being classified like you do ? (well you edited, your original post had Just call it "frontend dev"., but my question still stands, how can I counter the prejudices you seem to have ?)
  - leaveyou 9y ago
    Know what a linked list is, its advantages and drawbacks.
    - hycaria 9y ago
      I have, but I don't see it coming up much except during an interview maybe.
      - leaveyou 9y ago
        Well if you know that then this sub thread is not about you. Move on. This thread was about people who insist that they are fine being ignorant about basic knowledge.
        FLUX-YOU 9y ago
        https://twitter.com/Hillelogram/status/962424365819277312 https://twitter.com/Hillelogram/status/962424365819277312 Have fun
        leaveyou 9y ago
        Can you think of anyone who is or could be a good SWE that cannot do some basic things with a linked list given some hints and collaboration? edit: front end devs.. LOL, you hold dear that delusion :-)
        FLUX-YOU 9y ago
        Yeah, front end devs.
        erikrothoff 9y ago
        You seem to have painted yourself into the corner where you're not willing to accept the reasoning everyone else has provided in the comments. The point has always been that any developer can learn what a linked list is with hints and collaboration. The prejudice that I see in this thread is that: Only people who already know what a linked list is can call themselves a developer. A developer will learn if she needs to what a linked list is. If tasked with something requiring one a developer will simply learn the theory behind linked lists and be able to execute it. In reality however, they probably won't because most day-to-day tasks don't.

always_good 9y ago

The thing is that you can build applications full-time for years where you just aren't doing that ever. I don't remember the last time I had a queue so large and in such a hot loop that it would matter, for example. And it was a channel. Lately it's been browser-side code in an interactive online game that has gotten me to think about data access patterns again so that it performs well on slow phones, but that's just not what most people are working on. We have this whole belabored HN meme where people complain how the internet is for documents, not applications. Do people in these comments really think generating those documents involves heavy data access patterns?

leaveyou 9y ago
>you can build applications full-time for years And then "being an experienced app builder" you decide to create Electron.. and now I have to use Electron applications which are productive and necessary (VS Code) but are frustrating like hell on anything but recent hardware because some moron somewhere doesn't know when to use linked lists instead of arrays.
- tiraralabasura 9y ago
  Sounds like you're arguing that Cheng Zhao is not a developer and the kind of "designer"/"app builder" that companies should try to avoid by asking "what is a linked list" and other theoretical questions during job interviews.

tiraralabasura 9y ago

I think it's safe to assume that every developer who has got a bachelor degree knows what a linked list is (and is familiar with other data structures as well). However, many incredibly talented developers haven't bothered to memorize how these data structures work and their advantages/disadvantages, and whenever they encounter a situation where they need it, then they can simply Google the best solution within a couple of seconds/minutes. That's why these 'technical interviews' are so ridiculous, because they test theoretical abilities rather than programming abilities.