Jython Phone Interview Advice
I'm undergoing a phone interview for a Jython job today. Anybody have practical advice for me? I haven't worked with Python in years, but I have been working with Java in the meantime (resume at http://scriptify.com/george_jempty_resume.pdf). I've been reading up: my old "Quick Python" (Harris/McDonald) book, a somewhat more current "Visual Quickstart Guide" (Fehily), as well as "Jython for Java Programmers" (Bill) via safari.oreilly.com. My interviewer today will be a somewhat technical manager. A key thing I plan to ask is will this be primarily maintenance or new development. I don't think I'm cut out for new development considering my inexperience. Some things I'm noticing upon (re)reading my books. Triple quoted strings: those provide functionality similar to Perl's "here" documents. Also, considering Javascript will be a substantial component of my job, I'm noticing that Javascript's array/"hash" literal syntax is EXACTLY the same as that for Python lists/dictionaries. This could lead to easily sharing data between the client and server side, though I think I should probably keep this one under my hat, at least with a manager. Though if things go well I will probably subsequently interview with more technical folks. Otherwise, the only thing I can think to tell a manager in a phone screen is that I'm willing to undergo brainbench.com's Python certification. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Jython Phone Interview Advice
Paul Watson wrote: > > Gee, George. I wonder if the interviewing manager or anyone in their > company has access to newsgroups? Then I hope they would see that I was trying to properly prepare for the interview. I've given it to them straight so far: I'm no Python/Jython guru. And I'll give it to them straight if they say this is primarily new development: that I don't think I'm their man. If they somehow construe my reliance on this newsgroup negatively, I would never want to work for them. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Jython Phone Interview Advice
D H wrote: > George Jempty wrote: > > Also, considering Javascript will be a substantial component of my job, > > I'm noticing that Javascript's array/"hash" literal syntax is EXACTLY > > the same as that for Python lists/dictionaries. This could lead to > > easily sharing data between the client and server side, though I think > > Look up JSON, XML-RPC, XMLHttpRequest and Java (you can use Jython in > place of Java of course): > http://oss.metaparadigm.com/jsonrpc/ > http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/24/125236 > http://www.webpasties.com/xmlHttpRequest/ I like that last URL in particular. I actually already knew of JSON. I figure I can eventually leverage this similarity, though again I think that is a more appropriate discussion to have with technical leads rather than management. Thanks for the awesome link(s) though -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Jython Phone Interview Advice
Jeremy Bowers wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 03:21:19 -0800, George Jempty wrote:
> > I'm noticing that Javascript's array/"hash" literal syntax is
EXACTLY the
> > same as that for Python lists/dictionaries.
>
> No it isn't, quite.
>
> Two differences of note, one literally syntax and one technically not
but
> you probably still want to know about it.
>
> First, Javascript objects can only use strings for keys, anything
used as
> a key will be converted to a string. Try this in your browser and
you'll
> see what I mean... the "instance" of the "class" I define (let's not
get
> into prototyping issues here :-) ) has its string value used as the
key,
> not the object:
Perhaps the above assertion applies to native Javascript objects only?!
Because I've been successful in using host(browser) objects as keys to
associative arrays, namely forms. This is handy when the form's id
and/or name attribute have not been set. I was concerned that
identical forms would be equal, but then I proved that was not the case
with the following test:
This results in false. Am cross-posting the rest of this message in
it's entirety to comp.lang.javascript.
> javascript:function a(){}; a.prototype.toString = function () {return
> 'q';}; b = new a(); c = {}; c[b] = 1; alert(c['q'])
>
> (All one line, if your browser objects to the newline.)
>
> The other is the syntax point: The strings you use in {} expressions
to
> denote keys are used literally, they are not resolved. Thus, in the
above
> I *had* to write
>
> c = {};
> c[b] = 1;
>
> Because had I written
>
> c = {b: 1}
>
> I would have ended up with an object where c['b'] == 1; Javascript
does
> not resolve the "expression", 'cause it isn't one.
>
> (That said, certain reserved words like "class" and such do have to
be
> quoted, which means the safe bet is to quote them all, which leads to
> Javascript objects that look identical to Python dicts. But
>
> {1+2: "moo"}
>
> will end up different in each language.}
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