Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

Not really anywhere near enough information to answer the question as it is stated, but in order to provide you with an answer, it could come down to how you identified and/or fixed the bug.

Did you put a bunch of print statements all over the place or really, any at all? Did you comment out some lines of code and repeatedly run the sample? Did you make changes of any kind and repeatedly run the sample to understand what was happening?

If you answered Yes to any of the above, then you went about it the hard way. You could have introduced additional errors into the code in a non-trivial case. You could have left debugging/print statements in places they shouldn't be. There are probably other good reasons why you shouldn't do it this way.

Re: Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

#6

Post by eugenis » Wed, May 04, 2016, 4:32 PM UTC

davelnewton wrote: post #4

How is this question answerable with the information given? How do we even know that's why you "failed" the interview?

I was given the reason explicitly that I failed because I didn't use debugger to fix the bug.

Re: Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

#7

Post by codegeek » Wed, May 04, 2016, 4:35 PM UTC

eugenis wrote: post #6

davelnewton wrote: post #4

How is this question answerable with the information given? How do we even know that's why you "failed" the interview?

I was given the reason explicitly that I failed because I didn't use debugger to fix the bug.

ok then explain to us how you did fix the bug without a debugger ?

Re: Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

#8

Post by Raphmedia » Wed, May 04, 2016, 4:40 PM UTC

Because they want developers who develop like their current employees.

Re: Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

#9

Post by eugenis » Wed, May 04, 2016, 4:41 PM UTC

partisan wrote: post #5

Not really anywhere near enough information to answer the question as it is stated, but in order to provide you with an answer, it could come down to how you identified and/or fixed the bug. Did you put a bunch of print statements all over the place or really, any at all? Did you comment out some lines of code and repeatedly run the sample? Did you make changes of any kind and repeatedly run the sample to understand…

I read the code just like reading an English article and then I saw the bug and fixed it right on spot. Then ran successfully. No print statements were added. Existing codes were not changed at all.

To give an example, one of the bug is for (int i = 0; i It is obvious so I just change <= to <.

Re: Ask HN: Why I failed interview by fixing bug without using debugger?

#10

Post by eugenis » Wed, May 04, 2016, 4:43 PM UTC

codegeek wrote: post #7

eugenis wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was given the reason explicitly that I failed because I didn't use debugger to fix the bug.

ok then explain to us how you did fix the bug without a debugger ?

I read the code just like reading an English article and then I saw the bug and fixed it right on spot. Then ran successfully. No print statements were added. Existing codes were not changed at all. To give an example, one of the bug is for (int i = 0; i <= len; i++) It is obvious so I just change <= to <.