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Why not write something more practical? For example, have them write a class that demonstrates a few design patterns like dependency injection, has a basic inte
by Salgat 6y ago
Why not write something more practical? For example, have them write a class that demonstrates a few design patterns like dependency injection, has a basic interface it implements (for example, a DrawPixelArray method), that kind of thing. This to me is far more informative about skills the person would be using in their day-to-day job.
- dahfizz 6y agoIt depends on the job, I think. In some positions, it is a lot more "practical" to have a command of data structures and algorithmic thinking than it is to implement fancy OO design patterns. EDIT: A quick glance at OP's profile suggests that they are an experienced C++ programmer. I definitely think being able to handle pointers is more practical/fundamental skill than dependency injection in that context.
- fredophile 6y agoTo be clear, I don't ask them to write a linked list class. I would typically be asking them how they would implement a function that takes a linked list and has to do something with it. A lot depends on who I'm interviewing and what I'm looking for for that role. I don't think there's a one size fits all interview question for programming jobs. In the above example I might only want them to explain how they would solve it to see their problem solving abilities. In other cases I might want to see some whiteboard quality code and we can segue into other topics like debugging or testing the code they wrote. Your example probably wouldn't be suitable for an entry level candidate who I would expect would need more guidance for things like class or interface design but I'd expect to be able to implement functions given an API.