Re: Hacker MUDSTEALER ALERT

From: Daniel Koepke (dkoepke@CALIFORNIA.COM)
Date: 11/03/97


On Mon, 3 Nov 1997, Angus Mezick wrote:

->     A couple of fun questions to ask a potential coder:
->     What is the difference between i++ and ++i?

<g> This one is always fun, because they only act differently in
certain situations.  "++i;" and "i++;" are technically the same
when they stand alone, but different in "s[++i] = 'a'+i;" and
"s[i++" = 'a'+i;".  That's actually not bad. :)

->     How do you switch the position of 2 int variables without using a temp
->     variable?

Most coders don't know this one, though.  It's really simple,
actually, and involves three steps:

  a = a xor b;
  b = b xor a;
  a = a xor b;

I just use the macro "#define SWAP(a,b) { a ^= b; b ^= a; a ^= b }".
Even if a lot of people knew this one, I doubt it has any use in
CircleMUD.

->     How would you divide by 2 with out '/'?

I suppose that's helpful because Circle does it in some places.  If
I remember correctly (I always get my left and right shifts mixed-up)
it's (x>>1).

->     What does (1<<2) become?

Again, assuming I haven't mixed-up right and left bit shifts, this
would be four. :)

->     How would you write scanf to read "int int int char" into t[3] and
->     letter?

Generally Circle uses sscanf() or fscanf().  So, it might be useful to
ask what the differences between scanf(),  sscanf(), and fscanf() are.
The first few chapters in a book of C cover scanf() [well, I would
think so, I don't think I ever really read one of them], but generally
not sscanf() and fscanf().  It's also kindof of a common sense
question.

->     Why are manholes round?

Because if they were square they'd take up more area?

->     I use these when interviewing, give me a good idea of their experience
->     with the code base and C in general.  well, maybe not the last one.

Not a bad suggestion for a lot of you newbies looking for coders.


daniel koepke / dkoepke@california.com


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