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A comment on Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Interviews?.

Re:Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Intervi... by aryehof on Thursday June 13, 2019 @03:43AM (#20172576)
You seem to very much focused on data structures and algorithms, which I do understand is the only way many organizations can quantify prospective programmers (other than knowledge of "technologies" and "languages").

I'm curious what your response would be to the following interview question ...

"How would you model into code the operation of an elevator?"

(I'm wonder whether your viewpoint is solely one of data structures and algorithms that transform them. Or whether you might also have some other perspective of how to go about approaching the design of a software application?)

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Re:Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Intervi... by zimpenfish on Thursday June 13, 2019 @08:23AM (#20174048)
> "How would you model into code the operation of an elevator?"

"I refer the honorable gentleman to TAOCP, Volume 1, page N where DEK discusses this extensively."

I think it's V1 but it's been a while

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Re:Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Intervi... by lilsoso on Thursday June 13, 2019 @04:50AM (#20172870)
The elevator question is deceptively difficult and I find there aren't any decent answers to it on the internet. People have devoted phd papers to this topic. And there are sparse Leetcode discussions on this subject.
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Re:Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Intervi... by aryehof on Thursday June 13, 2019 @08:06AM (#20173937)
I suggest it is particularly difficulty if you have no method or approach to apply. That in itself says a lot about an applicants design and programming ability. Given that much of software development is about modeling systems (real or imagined) into code, is it too much to ask that a "programmer" know something about it?
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Re:Mock Interview Resources for Software Engineering Intervi... by thorin on Thursday June 13, 2019 @08:16AM (#20174003)
It is difficult, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be an interesting 10 min discussion as part of an interview.
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