Ask HN: Code examples to find out if a person is addicted to “overengineering”

Re:Ask HN: Code examples to find out if a person is addicted... by sidlls on Monday June 26, 2017 @02:59PM (#14639310)

I ask candidates to sketch an API (program, not REST, i.e. an outline of classes, functions and module structure) for a problem similar to those we solve, but smaller in scope.

I also ask about things like test coverage and programming paradigms they have an affinity for. Some things I look for that can be negative signals are:

* Propensity to choose classes and OO programming in a domain it isn't really suited for, or functional/procedural programming where OO might fit better

* Propensity to build for what might be rather than what is (e.g. always have an abstract class even if only one concrete class is necessary)

* Propensity to maximize test coverage (e.g. splitting the logic of functions into smaller ones just to generate test cases, even when those smaller functions are only called at one location) rather than to design for a solution

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Re:Ask HN: Code examples to find out if a person is addicted... by kristoft on Monday June 26, 2017 @03:05PM (#14639346)

Actually, the question is related to employee, not a candidate:) He is working with us quite for a long time, and he writes really good code. But he can't make simple solutions, only the hardest way to solve a problem. And because of it, we can't plan work and estimate tasks.

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Re:Ask HN: Code examples to find out if a person is addicted... by sidlls on Monday June 26, 2017 @03:24PM (#14639522)

Well that's a different problem. What is the nature of the work? The first thing that pops in my mind is "perhaps he sees an appropriate level of complexity that isn't accounted for by the other engineers, product owners or other business stakeholders."

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