I need an understanding of what C++ is good for -Thanks

[RAY]

Hi ,

my boss has asked I sit in on an interview this afternoon and that I create
some interview questions on the person's experience.

What is C++ used for and why would a company benefit from someone who could
use it?

I would like you guys/and gals to give me some good questions & the correct
answers so I can give this person a good review for my boss.

Thank you very much!
-J

[E. Robert Tisdale]

RAY wrote:

My boss has asked I sit in on an interview this afternoon
and that I create some interview questions on the person's experience.

What is C++ used for
and why would a company benefit from someone who could use it?

This would be a *very* good question to ask your candidate.

May we assume that you are interviewing a C++ programmer?

Personally, I would *never* even ask a candidate
whether they programmed in C++ or not.
Programming is a low level skill
which I would expect the candidate to "pick up"
in the first few weeks on the job.

Assuming that you understand your company's business better than C++,
describe some [simple] problem that your company has
that might be solved by applying computer technology
and ask you candidate to propose a solution using C++
or whatever language/software package
that the candidate deems appropriate.

You should very quickly know whether you should hire this person or not.

[jeffc]

"E. Robert Tisdale" <E.************ **@jpl.nasa.gov > wrote in message
news:40******** ****@jpl.nasa.g ov...

Personally, I would *never* even ask a candidate
whether they programmed in C++ or not.
Programming is a low level skill
which I would expect the candidate to "pick up"
in the first few weeks on the job.

Really... you'd expect them to "pick up" C++ in a few weeks.... OK.

[Bill Seurer]

RAY wrote:

my boss has asked I sit in on an interview this afternoon and that I create
some interview questions on the person's experience.

What is C++ used for and why would a company benefit from someone who could
use it?

Why would you care if someone you want to hire knows something about C++
if you aren't doing anything with C++? Or are you hiring someone to
write some software and they are proposing to use C++?

[jeffc]

"jeffc" <no****@nowhere .com> wrote in message
news:40******** @news1.prserv.n et...

"E. Robert Tisdale" <E.************ **@jpl.nasa.gov > wrote in message
news:40******** ****@jpl.nasa.g ov...

Personally, I would *never* even ask a candidate
whether they programmed in C++ or not.
Programming is a low level skill
which I would expect the candidate to "pick up"
in the first few weeks on the job.

Really... you'd expect them to "pick up" C++ in a few weeks.... OK.

I just can't get over how ridiculous this is. It's like calling the ability
to perform laser surgery a "low level skill" - one that you'd never ask a
doctor about before hiring him. As long as he, like, knows all about body
parts, 'n' stuff.

[Howard]

"jeffc" <no****@nowhere .com> wrote in message
news:40******** @news1.prserv.n et...

"jeffc" <no****@nowhere .com> wrote in message
news:40******** @news1.prserv.n et...

"E. Robert Tisdale" <E.************ **@jpl.nasa.gov > wrote in message
news:40******** ****@jpl.nasa.g ov...

Personally, I would *never* even ask a candidate
whether they programmed in C++ or not.
Programming is a low level skill
which I would expect the candidate to "pick up"
in the first few weeks on the job.
Really... you'd expect them to "pick up" C++ in a few weeks.... OK.

I just can't get over how ridiculous this is. It's like calling the

ability to perform laser surgery a "low level skill" - one that you'd never ask a
doctor about before hiring him. As long as he, like, knows all about body
parts, 'n' stuff.

It's not so ridiculous! I actually tend to agree with Mr. Tisdale on this.
A truly good programmer should be able to pick up a new language rather
easily. Now, given the (at least potential) complexity of C++, I would
hardly expect the person to become a "good C++ programmer" in a few weeks,
but I would certainly expect him/her to be able to modify/maintain existing
code within that timeframe. Being a good programmer, in my book, includes
that ability. Critical thinking, problem solving, design, and being able to
work with the available tools...these are areas that make a good programmer.
(That's why good colleges don't concentrate on teaching a specific language,
but instead teach a broad spectrum of data structures, mathematics,
operating systems, hardware, etc.) If you can program well in Java, but
would have trouble programming in, say C++ or Pascal, then you're not really
a good programmer, you're just an experienced Java programmer.

Regarding your anaology, I'd say that's not accurate. A good surgeon, given
a few weeks training in the use of a laser surgery device, should be able to
do laser surgery. That's a better analogy, I think, and it applies equally
as well to a good programmer being able to use a new tool, such as C++.
-Howard

[RAY]

Thank you these are all great points from different angles -

So from what I gather, if you are going to put on your resume that you "have
5 years of C++ Beginner 1 experience" I could asset that this canidate
would possibly be able to pickup on/program say XML & Java? The person says
they have 3yrs exper in Intermediate Visual Basic.

Do these two programming languages work hand in hand, might this experience
be stretching the truth and/or are these two vary different and a great
quality that this person can use both?

How do I (as a non-programmer) know if the person's answers are true or if
they are stretching for answers (in the unknown)?

Thanks,
"Howard" <al*****@hotmai l.com> wrote in message
news:c6******** @dispatch.conce ntric.net...

"jeffc" <no****@nowhere .com> wrote in message
news:40******** @news1.prserv.n et...

"jeffc" <no****@nowhere .com> wrote in message
news:40******** @news1.prserv.n et...

"E. Robert Tisdale" <E.************ **@jpl.nasa.gov > wrote in message
news:40******** ****@jpl.nasa.g ov...
>
> Personally, I would *never* even ask a candidate
> whether they programmed in C++ or not.
> Programming is a low level skill
> which I would expect the candidate to "pick up"
> in the first few weeks on the job.

Really... you'd expect them to "pick up" C++ in a few weeks.... OK.
I just can't get over how ridiculous this is. It's like calling the

ability

to perform laser surgery a "low level skill" - one that you'd never ask a doctor about before hiring him. As long as he, like, knows all about body parts, 'n' stuff.

It's not so ridiculous! I actually tend to agree with Mr. Tisdale on

this. A truly good programmer should be able to pick up a new language rather
easily. Now, given the (at least potential) complexity of C++, I would
hardly expect the person to become a "good C++ programmer" in a few weeks,
but I would certainly expect him/her to be able to modify/maintain existing code within that timeframe. Being a good programmer, in my book, includes
that ability. Critical thinking, problem solving, design, and being able to work with the available tools...these are areas that make a good programmer. (That's why good colleges don't concentrate on teaching a specific language, but instead teach a broad spectrum of data structures, mathematics,
operating systems, hardware, etc.) If you can program well in Java, but
would have trouble programming in, say C++ or Pascal, then you're not really a good programmer, you're just an experienced Java programmer.

Regarding your anaology, I'd say that's not accurate. A good surgeon, given a few weeks training in the use of a laser surgery device, should be able to do laser surgery. That's a better analogy, I think, and it applies equally as well to a good programmer being able to use a new tool, such as C++.
-Howard

[E. Robert Tisdale]

RAY wrote:

How do I (as a non-programmer) know if the person's answers are true?
Or if they are stretching for answers (in the unknown)?

You don't.
You are a dishonest person so you suspect everyone else.
You don't know anything about C++ so you can't judge.
Stick to topics that you know something about
so that you can judge the candidate --
unless, of course, you have you boss fooled
and don't know anything about the business at all.

The right candidates should be able to tell you
how they can solve your problems.
And if they can convince you of that,
they can easily pick up C++ or whatever [language] is required.
If they can't, it doesn't matter how well they know C++.
They won't be able to help you.

[jeffc]

"Howard" <al*****@hotmai l.com> wrote in message
news:c6******** @dispatch.conce ntric.net...

It's not so ridiculous! I actually tend to agree with Mr. Tisdale on this. A truly good programmer should be able to pick up a new language rather
easily. Now, given the (at least potential) complexity of C++, I would
hardly expect the person to become a "good C++ programmer" in a few

weeks...

Exactly, which is why it's ridiculous not to ask about C++ programming.

[jeffc]

"Howard" <al*****@hotmai l.com> wrote in message
news:c6******** @dispatch.conce ntric.net...

Regarding your anaology, I'd say that's not accurate. A good surgeon, given a few weeks training in the use of a laser surgery device, should be able to do laser surgery.

If you have a position for a laser surgeon, then it would be even more
ludicrous to hire just any doctor and hope he "picks it up", rather than
hiring an expert with extensive experience. Ridiculous. I can't believe
I'm hearing this.