Project 31-A

This one is actually an improvement over the usual proforma CS-101 questions. A possible solution is below One of the key item is whether the answerer address boundary conditions (which is half the solution!)   public int FindKthLargest( int [] list1, int [] list2, int kth) { if ((list1 == null && list2.Length < kth) || (list2 == null && list1.Length < kth) || (list1 != null && list2 != null && (list1.Length + list2.Length) < kth)) { throw new ArgumentException ( "Lists are too short" ); } if (list1 == null ) { return list2[list2.Length - kth]; } if (list2 == null ) { return list1[list1.Length - kth]; } int pt1 = list1.Length - 1; int pt2 = list2.Length - 1; int maxValue = (list1[pt1] > list2[...

This is another one of these not related to job functions questions that get asked. The solution is simple: public static int MaxRepeatInArray( int [] arr) { //Input checks if (arr == null || arr.Length < 1) { throw new DataException ( "Empty Array" ); } int bestChoice = arr[0]; int bestCounter = 1; int currentChoice = arr[0]; int currentCounter = 1; for ( int i = 0; i < arr.Length; ++i) { if (currentChoice == arr[i]) { currentCounter++; } else { if (currentCounter > bestCounter) { bestChoice = currentChoice; bestCounter = currentCounter; } currentChoice = arr[i]; currentCounter = 1; } } // Incase sequence is at end if (currentCounter > bestCounter) { bestChoice = currentChoice; bestCounter = currentCounter; ...

There are three solutions that come to mind.. public static int PowerOfY_0( int x, int y) { int result = 1; for ( int i = 0; i < y; i++) result *= x; return result; } The second solution is a bit of fun, because you are not using the power function but other math functions. Definitely efficient in terms of lines of code.   public static int PowerOfY_1( int x, int y) { return ( int ) Math .Round( Math .Exp(y* Math .Log(x, Math .E))); } The expected function is something like this: public static int PowerOfY( int x, int y) { int result = 1; while (y > 0) { if (y % 2 == 1) result *= x; y = y / 2; x *= x; } return result; } Of course, this is a bad question – you are really testing if the person can remember prior canned solutions and not their ability to think.  IMHO, the interviewer asking the question is suspect on their ability to think. It has no...

Summary Recently I was assigned the task of removing all dependencies on SYSPRO business objects inside an Asp.Net 2.0 application. These are the steps to find underlying SQL calls made by the business objects.    SYSPRO Business Objects SYSPRO Business objects are contained in the Interop.Encore.dll. The returned result is XML for the calls I dealt with.   The data items were, eventually, pulled out of the XML and used as single data points or as lists. You may choose to return XML from the new SQL calls you write.  This allows you to plug in the results and leave the rest of the legacy code.   Since the purpose of my task was to find any and all speed improvements, I removed the XML and dealt directly with SQL results. This required more data layer build-up but the benefit, beyond speed, was that I learned exactly what data was required and how it was ultimately used since I had to reverse engineer all the way to the level of usage.  ...

A friend from my days at Blackboard sent me the following code mockup and asked me how to make it work. < asp : Content ID ="BodyContent" runat ="server" ContentPlaceHolderID ="MainContent"> < asp : XmlDataSource ID ="XmlDataSource1" DataFile ="FeatureRequestDatasource.xml" runat ="server" XPath ="product/feature" ></ asp : XmlDataSource > < asp : XmlDataSource ID ="XmlDataSource2" DataFile ="FeatureRequestDatasource.xml" runat ="server" XPath ="product/feature/area"></ asp : XmlDataSource > < asp : XmlDataSource ID ="XmlDataSource3" DataFile ="FeatureRequestDatasource.xml" runat ="server" ></ asp : XmlDataSource > < h3 > Sample Feedback Submit Form </ h3 > < div > Product Feature < asp : DropDownList ID ="DropDownList1" DataSourceID =...

This should required only a short answer, such as “It provides statistics on what SQL Server is waiting for. For example, there is a Stat for Logging (LOGBUFFER, LOGMGR_QUEUE). One of the most important ones is the wait time for writing to media (WRITELOG).” Asking for the precise name is a bit unfair – such a question would be testing rote/memory abilities and not understand of what is going on. Some more important names are IO_COMPLETION, SOS_SCHEDULER_YIELD, PAGELATCH_XX, PAGEIOLATCH_XX, etc.   You could ask about general types, for example: Resource Waits (i.e. internal resources), External Waits and Queue Waits. However, a poor response may easily occur if the question is not very carefully phrased --   However, asking what you would do to resolve a high WRITELOG or LOGBUFFER statistics is a much better question. The typical answers could include: If you are using a virtual machine, make sure that data disks are passthru and not virtual disks Change the R...

I recall being asked that question at an interview long ago. In the circles that I had been working we had never used that (academic) term and had been using the diagramming tools in SQL Server Management Studio(SSMS). It was simply what we used. So what are crow’s feet?   It is a diagramming notation which, incidentally, is not supported in SQL Server Management Studio but is supported in third party tools. Since I had been working for Microsoft’s ITG SQL Server Team for several years prior without any third party tools --- I could not return a snappy answer. The origin of this was that the early adapters moved to Oracle, so this because an attitude issue with Microsoft.   Today, crow’s foot notation has become the non-Microsoft industry standard in stead of SSMS infinity key notation. The comical thing is that Microsoft Visio does support crow’s foot notation. A few example tools that uses this notation are: ARIS , System Architect , PowerDesigner , Toad Data Modele...