From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,c9d5fc258548b22a X-Google-NewGroupId: yes X-Google-Attributes: gida07f3367d7,domainid0,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news4.google.com!feeder.news-service.com!newsfeed.straub-nv.de!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Simon Clubley Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: How do I write directly to a memory address? Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 21:19:30 +0000 (UTC) Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Message-ID: References: <67063a5b-f588-45ea-bf22-ca4ba0196ee6@l11g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> <8r86vgFc3uU1@mid.individual.net> <19fh1chm74f9.11cws0j5bckze.dlg@40tude.net> <4d4ff70e$0$6886$9b4e6d93@newsspool2.arcor-online.net> <737a6396-72bd-4a1e-8895-7d50f287960e@d28g2000yqc.googlegroups.com> <4d5008a5$0$6879$9b4e6d93@newsspool2.arcor-online.net> <4d5031fe$0$6765$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net> <1f229967-d3cf-42b6-8087-c97ee08652f3@i40g2000yqh.googlegroups.com> <4d51169e$0$7657$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net> <1bnp0pw1c8r5b$.guxc48qweiwe.dlg@40tude.net> <1ju2bba947c1h.y05qev0wjx2t.dlg@40tude.net> Injection-Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 21:19:30 +0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: mx02.eternal-september.org; posting-host="4pjzwDT2MPp9AkNxUo/C4Q"; logging-data="32714"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18c2UzsanEVThx/kfXQGbE2eqkIJwWmo4o=" User-Agent: slrn/0.9.8.1 (VMS/Multinet) Cancel-Lock: sha1:hpXxSC5W0ZmLHKFb8SVFoSCzAj0= Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:17041 Date: 2011-02-08T21:19:30+00:00 List-Id: On 2011-02-08, Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote: > On Tue, 8 Feb 2011 20:04:14 +0000 (UTC), Simon Clubley wrote: > >> On 2011-02-08, Dmitry A. Kazakov wrote: >>> >>> Three candidates in a row I have interviewed for a C/C++/C# position could >>> not answer the question how to test the 3rd bit of a byte in C. All three >>> had 3+ years of programming "experience." >> >> Are you serious ? (I assume you are, but that's so unreal I just needed >> to ask.) > > Yes, I am. Never take interviews if you want sleep well! > > The next test was this: > > x and FF = ? > x or FF = ? > x xor FF = ? > > Only one of 5 candidates could solve the first two! Only one managed xor! > Thanks for the response. In some ways this example is even worse because this is a simple (and generally language independent) boolean operation which does not require knowing how to mask out a bit from within a byte in a C program as your first example did. This is a serious question: Do these people get fired after a period of time when it's discovered they are useless (and hence they move from job to job) or do they somehow manage to survive in a job ? > >> Do any mitigating circumstances exist ? Ie: are you advertising for a >> trainee position and they are new to C, but know how to do this in another >> language ? (I notice you said "programming experience" above and not >> "C experience".) > > The question was: take any language you know or explain verbally. The > opinions were divided between: "it is impossible to do," and "there must be > a library function for this, I don't remember which." > With this attitude on their part, I would love to see how they were (for example) testing (and setting) the contents of device registers in their previous projects. OTOH, it's probably better for my blood pressure if I didn't. :-) Simon. -- Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world