Owen's Blog

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6166560.html?tag=topslot;title;1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot

Ok i’m gonna get in the pre order line for this (via Ctrl+Alt+Del)

Source: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000781.html

Tags: codinghorror unittest coding employment interviews

So I read an interesting article on Coding Horror (one of the many blogs I subscribe to in my Google start page) and was unsurprised at the level of entry some programmers are at.

However I also think the conclusion that people should be asked to write snippets of simple code before (or during) an interview is missing something. I know from first hand experience how bad some of the current techniques of code writing are and if I had my way I wouldn’t be asking candidates to write code, I would be asking them to write unit tests.

There’s something inherently great about a unit test as an examination.

a) it shows a candidate knows what a unit test is

b) it shows a candidate can code (unit tests are code after all)

c) it shows that a candidate understands some fundamentals of good code quality

I’ve just recently been through the interview process as a candidate and can say that technical interviews are never nice but it’s not too hard to say to a candidate “I’m going to be writing a function called boo that does x to a variable, write as many unit tests as you can think of to prove that boo will work as expected when the tests pass”

This allows a candidate room for expression (how many unit tests can you think of for simple string manipulation) and it fulfils the initial requirement that code can be written.

My 2p

Well I’ve started my new job in Wellington, and so far I really don’t know what to think. I’m stuck in that dreaded position of inheriting a system with no unit tests, and very little best practice.

So should I re-code enough so that the basics of unit tests can be written or do I just plow through and hope that the next project will be a bit better written? I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.

Oh why can’t people just write unit tests!

 Early in the morning of the fifth of February 2007, my Grandmother Prudence Jones, completed her life trip. She died peacefully in her sleep and will be missed and remembered by all who knew her.

I will miss her humor.

Well I’m now in a position to start planning for the future here in Wellington, New Zealand. Last week I was offered a job as a MS .net Application Developer, the ideal role for me and the salary was at the top of my estimated potential earnings, so I lept at the chance.

As such, from the 19th of Febuary I will be working for a company called Optimation.

So I’m nice and excited and can’t wait to get back into the grove of work. Katy’s application for Teacher Training College (where she plans to study a BEd in Early Childhood Eduction) is still in the pipeline, so hopefully she will hear soon if she is accepted.

Many thanks to Phil, Scobie, Gary, Mel, Julie, Katy and everyone else who helped me find a job in this new land!