Re: not enough real programmers?

[mojaveg@ridgecrest.ca.us (Everett M. Greene)]

In article <7ohnaf$fm0$1@cascade.cs.ubc.ca> gillies@cs.ubc.ca (Donald Gillies) writes:
> prs@gol.com (Peter Stephenson) writes:
> 
> >On Thu, 5 Aug 1999 19:12:46 -0400, "Ian St. John"
> ><istjohn@spamcop.net> wrote:
> 
> >>Downsizing, and outsourcing are other factors, creating a demand for
> >>documentation as proof of specific skill. More effort is spent on
> >>'personnel searches', and less 'personal evaluation' is made. When the
> >>person turns out to have the experience, but not the skill, it just
> >>forces higher 'minimal qualifications'.
> >>
> >All true.  It can be difficult recruiting good programmers, though.  I
> >mean, how the hell do you find out whether they can code in an
> >interview?
> 
> Not hard.
> ==========
> 
> int x[10] = { ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ? };
> 
> 1.  "Write a fast C program to move all the zeroes to the end of
> the array."
> 
> 2.  "Write a piece of code to clear the 3rd-lowest bit of a word"
> 
> 3.  "Write a function to print out a 32-bit number in decimal, but in
> reverse."
> 
> 4.  "Write a program to perform a "perfect shuffle" on an array of 52
> numbers." 

Anybody with a good answer to question 4 doesn't need to be interviewing
for a job.  There are any number of companies, academic institutions,
etc. who would like a definitive answer to that problem.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everett M. Greene   (The Mojave Greene, crotalus scutulatus scutulatus)
Ridgecrest, Ca. 93555           Path: mojaveg@ridgecrest.ca.us