Worth Read #1

Comment on the following code fragment. 

unsigned int zero = 0;
unsigned int compzero = 0xFFFF; 

/*1's complement of zero */
On machines where an int is not 16 bits, this will be incorrect. It should be coded:

unsigned int compzero = ~0;
This question really gets to whether the candidate understands the importance of word length on a computer. In my experience, good embedded programmers are critically aware of the underlying hardware and its limitations, whereas computer programmers tend to dismiss the hardware as a necessary annoyance.
By this stage, candidates are either completely demoralized-or they're on a roll and having a good time. If it's obvious that the candidate isn't very good, then the test is terminated at this point. However, if the candidate is doing well, then interviewer throw in these supplemental questions. These questions are hard, and interviewer expects that only the very best candidates will do well on them. In posing these questions, I'm looking more at the way the candidate tackles the problems, rather than the answers. Anyway, have fun...

enjoy...