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by thoughtsimple 4211 days ago
Why shouldn't a programmer be reliant on their tools? What a bizarre idea.

I like to measure a carpenter's skill based on whether they can build a nice looking bookshelf with just a pocket knife said no one ever.
2 comments
sangnoir 4211 days ago
I don't think the whiteboard interviews expect an executable at the end of the process. It's not a complete test, but a partial one: testing if you can come up with suitable algorithms within a reasonable time - and perhaps how you work/your process. None of which is dependent on any (software/IDE) tools
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vertex-four 4211 days ago
If you're asking them to design something rather than build something off a pre-existing design, you might like to know that they actually understand the principles of design, and aren't relying on a tool to pretend they do.
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superuser2 4211 days ago
It is completely reasonable to rely on a text editor and the language interpreter. Hell, even the language documentation.

This could be an issue with really fancy IDE features, but there's a world of difference between a whiteboard and an IDE - namely, a text editor and an interpreter/compiler.

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