Sam Kitonyi's Bookmarks

The Joel Test

1. Do you use source control?
   
2. Can you make a build in one step?
   
3. Do you make daily builds?
   
4. Do you have a bug database?
   
5. Do you fix bugs before writing new code?
   
6. Do you have an up-to-date schedule?
   
7. Do you have a spec?
   
8. Do programmers have quiet working conditions?
   
9. Do you use the best tools money can buy?
   
10. Do you have testers?
    
11. Do new candidates write code during their interview?
    
12. Do you do hallway usability testing?

For example the language L = {aⁿbⁿ : n ≥ 0} over the alphabet Σ = {a, b} can be shown to be non-regular as follows. Let w, x, y, z, p, and i be as stated in the pumping lemma above. Let w in L be given by w = a^pb^p. By the pumping lemma, there must be some decomposition w = xyz with |xy| ≤ p, |y| ≥ 1 such that xyⁱz in L for every i ≥ 0. If we let |xy|=p and |z|=p, then xy is the first half of w, or all p of the as. Because |y| ≥ 1, it consists of a non-zero number of as, and xy²z has more as than bs and is therefore not in L (note that any value of i ≠ 1 will give us a contradiction). We have reached a contradiction because, in this case, the pumped word does not belong to the language L. Therefore, the assumption that L is regular must be incorrect. Hence L is not regular.

The proof that the language of balanced (i.e., properly nested) parentheses is not regular follows the same idea. Given p, there is a string of balanced parentheses that begins with more than p left parentheses, so that y will consist entirely of left parentheses. By repeating y, we can produce a string that does not contain the same number of left and right parentheses, and so they cannot be balanced.

To prevent unnecessary time-outs, lock the minimum amount of code possible. Whenever possible, lock only code that sets or reads variables, not business logic or database queries. One useful technique is to do the following:

1. Perform a time-consuming activity outside of a cflock tag


2. Assign the result to a Variables scope variable


3. Assign the Variables scope variable's value to a shared scope variable inside a cflock block.

For example, if you want to assign the results of a query to a session variable, first get the query results using a Variables scope variable in unlocked code. Then, assign the query results to a session variable inside a locked code section. The following code shows this technique:

<cfquery name="Variables.qUser" datasource="#request.dsn#">
   SELECT FirstName, LastName
   FROM Users
   WHERE UserID = #request.UserID#
</cfquery>
<cflock scope="Session" timeout="5" type="exclusive">
   <cfset Session.qUser = Variables.qUser>
</cflock>

There is an array A[N] of N integers. You have to compose an array Output[N] such that Output[i] will be equal to the product of all the elements of A[] except A[i].

Example:

    INPUT:[4, 3, 2, 1, 2]

    OUTPUT:[12, 16, 24, 48, 24]

Note: Solve it without the division operator and in O(n).

I think the media have replaced religion, because, in the old days in Britain, you see, Henry VIII had a row with the Pope about one of his weddings. I can’t remember; he married six times. So he nationalized the Church of England. The Church of England is a nationalized institution. The bishops are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister in Britain could be a Muslim or a Jew, an atheist; he would still appoint the Archbishop of Canterbury.

So, what the king recognized was that you have to have the church as a media on his side. So you went to church and the bishop would say, ‘God wants to you do what the king wants you to do,’ and now, with all the multinational corporations, Rupert Murdoch and all that, they’re in effect saying, ‘You must do what the President tells you to do,’ and in the interest of commercial interests as well.