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Pair programming

Pair-programming interviews: clarify and plan, narrate while you code, test as you go, take hints well, and extend an existing codebase.

5 lessons

The live session

  1. 1Clarify, then plan, then codeRestate, confirm with an example, ask what changes the code, then agree a plan before the first keystroke.
  2. 2Narrating while you codeNarrate intent, not keystrokes: what you will do next, why, and what you are unsure of.
  3. 3Testing as you goName your cases before you say done, then run or trace each one; a bug you catch yourself counts for you.
  4. 4Taking hints and getting unstuck: name the piece, shrink the problem, and use a hint at onceSay which piece has you stuck and what you tried, shrink the problem until it runs, and turn a hint into your next step.
  5. 5Extending an existing codebase liveFind the nearest existing feature, build yours in its shape through the APIs as they are, and say improvements instead of making them.