C++ Tests

[BlasterBates]

hmm well I recently failed a c++ braincheck test (less than 70%) and it´s clear I have to gen up.

I was thinking about checking myself. Is it enough to read through Bjarne Strousup´s C++ book carefully to gain enough knowledge to pass these things ?

What books can you recommed ?

I came accross ExpertRating on the web, and was thinking about this. It´s cheaper than braincheck. Is this OK as a self-check.

Any comments appreciated.

[AtW]

comments

Any comments appreciated.

I am glad you said that - my comment is this: why are you so concerned about having your memory checked? Good programmer is able to pick stuff on the fly, know how to use Google efficiently rather than remembering all features of the language of which he'd use 10% most of the time, at best.

[BlasterBates]

Re: comments

I fully agree with you AtW but that´s not how some banks see it. It is one of the reasons that wages get overinflated that they block out candidates fully capable of doing the job because they didn´t swot up and practice "Braincheck".:rolleyes

Not all test like that I have had sensible tests where they check your creativity, and programing skills rather than knowledge of syntax. But I´m afraid you just have to play the game.

[OrangeHopper]

Re: comments

Stroustrup's bible is simply that and not the most helpful of reads.

Get Scott Meyer's "Effective C++" and "More Effective C++" published by Addison Wesley. Invaluable.

Cline and Lomow's "C++ FAQs" published again by Addison Wesley is quite an interesting read and probably more suited to test type questions.

Oh my god, "quite an interesting read", what for heaven's sake is wrong with me.

[SupremeSpod]

Re: comments

Get Scott Meyer's "Effective C++" and "More Effective C++" published by Addison Wesley. Invaluable.

Agree!

Very readable.

[oaksoft]

Why do contractors insist on thinking like employees?

"I am glad you said that - my comment is this: why are you so concerned about having your memory checked? Good programmer is able to pick stuff on the fly, know how to use Google efficiently rather than remembering all features of the language of which he'd use 10% most of the time, at best."

This bemuses me.

If I was being asked to pay for a C++ person, I'd expect the guy to at least have a solid grasp of the language.
Why would I pay a plumber £60 per hour to work on a new type of pipe which he had rarely worked on?
Surely I'd get in a decent one who knew his stuff.

My advice would be that if you can't get through a standard C++ test when many others are doing so easily, then you should either look at another career or get learning it properly and charge your client less until you are experienced enough to up the rate.

Only employees should expect to be allowed to "learn on the job".

[xoggoth]

Re: Why do contractors insist on thinking like employees?

Quite true. Think I can code fairly fast in C++, VB, HTML or jscript but if I actually had to remember all the damn constructs not sure I'd do very well either. Coders just don't work like that, you copy that bit there, paste to there, stick in a bit from there, mod a bit, delete a bit. If you had to type in even 10% of the lines from scratch it would take ages.

[SupremeSpod]

Re: Why do contractors insist on thinking like employees?

If you had to type in even 10% of the lines from scratch it would take ages.

STL anybody?

[AtW]

Re: Why do contractors insist on thinking like employees?

My advice would be that if you can't get through a standard C++ test when many others are doing so easily, then you should either look at another career or get learning it properly and charge your client less until you are experienced enough to up the rate.

I find that there is a big gap between "memory type questions" in tests and real world problem solving skills. A lot of people are getting good grades in tests because they became proficient in knowing how to pass tests, rather than solve real life problems.

Also, how many software projects use 100% of available features of a programming language as heavy as C++?

[EC4N]

which compiler

Currently going through 'Accelerated C++' by koenig and moo. Need some advice as to which would be the best compiler to use.

Thanks