Chapter 1 reading starts today and I plan to stick to the schedule. I am already having fun reading the Subreddit - Gödel is awesome.

I learnt that if a browser sends two requests to an ASP.NET website and if both of them belong to the same session (have the same SessionID) then ASP.NET will not execute them concurrently. The second request is executed only after the first one is done executing. For more information, check out the section called Concurrent Requests and Session State. This essentially makes your application single threaded for a given session.

Use this Brainfuck interpreter to run the code and enter “y” or “n” when prompted with a question.

>[-]<[-]>++++++++[<++++++++>-]<++++.>++++++[<++++++>-]<+.-----.>++++++++ 
[<-------->-]<----.>+++++++++[<++++++++++>-]<-.----------.++++++.>++++++ 
+++[<--------->-]<----.>++++++++[<++++++++>-]<+++.+++++++++++++++.++++++ 
+.>+++++++++[<---------->-]<+.>+++++++++[<++++++++++>-]<---.------------ 
---.---.+++++++++.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<+++.>+++++++[<+++++++>-]<++.> 
++++++[<++++++>-]<---.---------------.>++++[<++++>-]<+.>++++[<---->-]<-. 
>++++++++[<--------->-]<+++.>++++++[<+++++++>-]<.>++++++[<++++++>-]<+.-- 
-----------.>++++[<++++>-]<+.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<--.>++++++++[<++++ 
++++>-]<++++.+++++.----.-.>++++++[<------>-]<-.,------------------------ 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
------------------------->+<[>>[-]<[-]++++++++++..>++++++++[<++++++++>-] 
<-.>++++++[<------->-]<+.>++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<.+++++++.+.-----------. 
>++++++++[<--------->-]<+++.>+++++++++[<++++++++++>-]<-.----------.+++++ 
+.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<----.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<----.++.++++++. 
---.----.---------.-.>++++++++[<-------->-]<----.>++++++++[<++++++++>-]< 
+.>++++++++[<-------->-]<-.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<-----.---.++++++++++ 
+..--------.-------.>++++++++[<-------->-]<----.-.>+++++++[<+++++++>-]<+ 
.>++++[<+++++>-]<-.++++++++.--------.++++++++.-----------.+++.++++++++++ 
+++.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<-.>++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<.+.++++.>++++++++ 
+[<--------->-]<++++.>++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<---.>++++[<++++>-]<+.>++++[ 
<---->-]<-.+++++++++++++.+++++++.>+++++++++[<---------->-]<+.>+++++++++[ 
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>+++++++++[<++++++++++>-]<-.----------.++++++.---.>+++++++++[<---------> 
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+.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<--------.++++++++++.>+++++++++[<--------->-]< 
--.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<----.------------.+++.+.>++++++++[<--------- 
>-]<+++.>++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<---.----.>++++[<++++>-]<++.----------.-- 
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++++++++++.----------.>++++++++[<-------->-]<----.>+++++++++[<+++++++++> 
-]<----.------------.++++++.++.------.--.+++++++++++.>+++++++++[<------- 
-->-]<+++++.>++++++++[<++++++++>-]<++.+++.--.--.>++++[<+++++>-]<.--.---- 
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+++++++++[<--------->-]<+++.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<--------.>++++++[<- 
----->-]<-.>++++++[<++++++>-]<---.>++++[<++++>-]<+.-------------.------. 
++.>+++++++[<-------->-]<+.<[-]<[-]]>[>[-]<[-]++++++++++..>+++++++++[<++ 
+++++++>-]<----.>++++[<++++>-]<+.+.+++.-------.>++++++++[<--------->-]<+ 
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]<----.>++++++++[<++++++++>-]<+++.++++++++++++.-.++++++.-----------.++++ 
+.+++++++.----------------.>++++++++[<--------->-]<+++.>+++++++++[<+++++ 
++++>-]<+++.-----.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<++.>++++++++[<++++++++>-]<+++ 
.+++++++++++++++.+++++++.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<++++.------------.>+++ 
+++++[<++++++++>-]<++++.+++++++++++.>+++++++++[<--------->-]<++.>+++++++ 
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+++>-]<+.+++++++++++++.----------.>++++++++[<-------->-]<----.>+++++++++ 
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+++++>-]<+.+++++++++++++.----------.>++++++++[<-------->-]<----.>+++++++ 
+[<++++++++>-]<+++.+++++.-------.+++++++++++++.-------.--.>++++++++[<--- 
------>-]<+++.>+++++++++[<+++++++++>-]<+++.------------.---.>++++++++[<- 
-------->-]<+++.>+++++++++[<++++++++++>-]<---.--------.+++.------.------ 
--.>++++++++[<-------->-]<---.<[-]] 

Both JavaScript and ActionScript are dialects of ECMAScript, the standard that (the early) JavaScript eventually evolved into. Both the languages share the decisions that were taken during the standardization. A lot of bad parts have been included in ECMAScript for backward compatibility. Let me talk about JavaScript from now on, because I am familiar with it. But a quick RTFM tells me that I won’t be far off from ActionScript. For instance, variables in ActionScript have function-level scope, not block-level scope, just like JavaScript. Also, variable declarations are hoisted, which means that you can read or write to a variable before it is declared, as long as it is declared before the function ends. Again, something that JavaScript has.

function varScope ()
{
    var counter:int = 10;
    if (counter > 0)
    {
        var output:String = "Loop #" + counter;
        counter--;        
    }
    trace(output); // the variable output is available here
}

function hoisting() 
{
    num = 5;             // num is not defined yet!
                         // still assignment is legal
    trace(num);          // 5
    var num:Number = 10; // declaring num now!
    trace(num);          // 10
}

Although I am a huge fan of JavaScript, I don’t think it is suited for enterprise (read Indian code factories) development. JavaScript has bad parts and awful parts that you need to avoid. You have to be careful while programming in JavaScript. You need to think about the language as much as you have to think about your system design and architecture. If you are coming from a C++ or a Java background, which is typical with enterprise developers, working with JavaScript is doubly dangerous. It looks like C, runs in very error tolerant environments (web browsers) and does not have classes. When you see syntactically similar languages, it is natural (but clearly disastrous) to assume semantic similarity. But JavaScript is Lisp in C’s clothing.

C# on the other hand, is a widely used enterprise language and eventually, after giving thousands of interviews, the developers will know that methods are non-virtual by default. In general, the language does not have bad parts, only good practices. It stands on the shoulders of giants such as C++ and Java. As I already mentioned, I love JavaScript and I believe every developer should truly learn JavaScript. But before you pick Flex over Silverlight, remember that ActionScript is ECMAScript and consider the implications.

How do you achieve high interviewing standards? How do you make sure that the job seeking community recognizes you as the firm to work for? By being professional and dedicated to the role you are playing in the hiring process. If you are a HR person, remember what the H in HR stands for. Treat the candidates with respect and value their time. Be responsive. Do not be condescending or unpunctual. Remember that candidates form first impressions based on interactions with you. The right kind of interaction will leave the candidate happy and glad that he interviewed with the firm. But the wrong kind of interaction, even a brief one, can leave a bad impression on the candidate.

If you are a developer taking technical interview, you need to make your interviews interesting. Remember when you ask the candidate at the end of the interview if he has any questions? Chances are, you have already answered a lot of questions during the interview process. Asking the right kind of questions to screen/evaluate the candidate is what you generally focus on. While that is important, what you also need to keep in mind is that the interview is a two way process. While you are forming opinions about the candidates based on their responses, the candidates are forming opinions of their own based on your questions. Try and make the interview a dialogue instead of a Q&A session. Ask questions that will tell you what kind of a programmer the candidate is rather than how many design pattern names he has committed to his memory. Show him that you are smart, interesting and passionate about programming, someone he would like to work with.

If you are a hiring manager, make sure you talk to all the candidates who qualify a certain criteria or clear a certain screening round. You should explain the role, the work that your team does, the interview process and provide a point of contact for the whole process. Your early involvement, however brief, in the process will send the right kind of signals. Train your team, keep on an eye on HR and locate any red flags in the process. Make your team understand the importance of being responsive, energetic and charming in their interviews. Tell them to treat every interview as if they were interviewing John Resig. The challenge is to keep the energy levels consistent. It’s tough, it’s hard, but that is one of the reasons they are paid, to do their job. This is part of their job.

The first example is what I actually used to solve one of the CodeJam problems. The second example is one of my interview screener questions, reversing the words in a sentence. The third example materialized when I realized that the process of converting a binary number to base 10 fits very well in the aggregation logic.

// Aggregate works on any IEnumerable<T> collection
IEnumerable<int> collection = new int[5] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; 

// Example 1: XOR all the integers in the collection. 
int xorResult = 
  collection.Aggregate(
    (runningResult, next) => runningResult ^ next);

// Example 2: Reverse words in a sentence
string[] words = "that's what she said".Split(' ');
// Observe the way we are concatenating the strings
string reversed = 
  words.Aggregate(
    (sentence, next) => next + " " + sentence);

// Example 3: Convert base 2 int to base 10 int
int[] base2 = new int[] { 1, 1, 1, 0, 0 };
int base10 = 
  base2.Aggregate(0, (result, next) => 2 * result + next);

Soon you start building confidence and you identify your enemies. You focus on the ones that are an immediate threat and you send the army that you have built to solve the problem. You make a plan and you execute it in steps. Finally, you conquer the whole land and emerge victorious. You are the emperor.