On Wed, Jun 29, 2016 at 6:49 PM, Vinay Gavankar <vinaygav@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I think the important question would be whether actual code is to be
written or pseudo-code?
I would think it should be actual code. Otherwise why would they
specify RPG specifically? And if the argument is "well, the flavor of
pseudocode used should map roughly line-for-line with RPG"; then I'd
say fine, so why not just write the RPG?
I think one would require couple of hours of testing to come up with
bug-free code.
This is a very good point. How much time are they giving for this
problem? If it's just 15 or 20 minutes, then I'm sure the 5% success
rate is accurate, due to the extreme time constraint. With such little
time, the only fair testing procedure would be to have the candidate
talk through their thought process, rather than write any actual code.
I still stand by my assessment that the problem is not unreasonably
difficult, but that's with the stipulation that you're given a nice
chunk of time. I've been working on an actual solution myself, and
I've definitely been at it longer than an hour, and I'm not finished
yet. I think you'd have to be a Mozart[1]-type coder to get this done
in under an hour.
John Y.
[1] Mozart had the reputation for being able to write music straight
out of his head, perfect on the page as soon as it came out. This is
largely regarded to be a myth by music history experts.
midrange.com
