Code Samples

[Drakkon]

So I'm looking around at companies and sent my resume a few places and each have come back to me asking for code samples. All of these were 'professional' jobs that required experience on a 'professional' project (read not freelance work - at least thats my interpretation). Everything I've programmed is strictly proprietary however, and none of the code is allowed to be released, no demos are available, and no way to get permission to create a demo without a lengthy 6 month process.

How in the heck do you respond to this sort of query for work? I've been allowed access to distribute protoypes that I worked on so thats about as close as I can get without telling these people to just go buy the software - its on amazon for sale.

 

[Atheus]

You ever write anything in your spare time? I have this physics engine I've been sitting on for years and I sometimes show people that. What about final year projects from university? You could give something a bit of a touch up, add a few features, make it look modern...

You could even do a week's work for an open source project - imagine saying 'you know that new [feature] in Firefox? Yea I wrote that, you probably use it every day'...

 

[SSSnail]

Modify your variables so that your program becomes something else, problems solved.

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You ever write anything in your spare time? I have this physics engine I've been sitting on for years, and I sometimes show people that. What about final year projects from university? You could give something a bit of a touch up, add a few features, make it look modern.

You could even do a week's work for an open source project - imagine saying 'you know that new feature in Firefox? Yea I wrote that, you probably use it every day'...

I've considered that but they are mostly stating they want work from production pieces - not spare time sorta stuff. I've considred the open source thing but havent had the spare time lately...maybe i will soon

 

[NanoStuff]

Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

Unfortuantely my "pet project" was incorporated into my last project...sold it for a good chunk of change at least but means i no longer have the rights to reuse nor distribute the code

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

I like to do other things besides coding when I get home. I have no pet project.

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

I like to do other things besides coding when I get home. I have no pet project.

Then obviously by NanoStuff's insinuation you are not a "good" programmer :roll:

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Drakkon

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

I like to do other things besides coding when I get home. I have no pet project.

Then obviously by NanoStuff's insinuation you are not a "good" programmer :roll:

Why the rolly eyes?

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Drakkon

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
Most good programmers have pet projects. If you don't, I suggest you get one.

I like to do other things besides coding when I get home. I have no pet project.

Then obviously by NanoStuff's insinuation you are not a "good" programmer :roll:

Why the rolly eyes?

sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

Absolutely. You can be a great programmer and still have a life outside of work. Never understood the guys who work 8-5 and then go home and code until 2am. There is life beyond Visual Studio.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Drakkon
sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

Absolutely. You can be a great programmer and still have a life outside of work. Never understood the guys who work 8-5 and then go home and code until 2am. There is life beyond Visual Studio.

Gotta admit it's an advantage to actually like programming - I wouldn't hire one of those guys who only does it for the money.

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Drakkon
sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

Absolutely. You can be a great programmer and still have a life outside of work. Never understood the guys who work 8-5 and then go home and code until 2am. There is life beyond Visual Studio.

You can still have a life and work on pet projects at the same time.

You'll have a busy life, but it can work

 

[NanoStuff]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

Has everything to do with what you do outside of your job. You can't be on top of your field unless you stay on top of new developments and take time out to read, improve, test and practice new ideas. You may be good enough to stay employed, but I very much doubt you're good enough to be considered on top if you disregard your career outside of work.

 

[Cooler]

I have bunch of pet projects but they never get done. I lose intrest as soon as i get past the hard section of coding and only simple things are.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Drakkon
sarcasm...i think you being a good programmer has nothing to do with what you do outside of your job. its all about your ability to complete tasks on time and in a consistantly good working fashion while being on top of your field.

Has everything to do with what you do outside of your job. You can't be on top of your field unless you stay on top of new developments and take time out to read, improve, test and practice new ideas.

My company has me do that kind of thing as part of my job. Of course, I'm frequently actually developing new stuff for them, so they have some incentive there. I also work on my own things outside of work sometimes. You can be dedicated and "like programming" without doing it 24/7.

OP -- if you really can't give them even parts of the stuff you work on now, find something older that you did. If you really can't find anything even remotely applicable or recent enough -- ask them to give you an 'assignment' and you can code up a solution. Although I would think that examples of a prototype system would probably be good enough. If you were actually a lead developer/designer of some sort on a commercial product for sale -- that should buy you some credibility (assuming the product works well ).

Someone asking for code samples shouldn't really care if they're from a truly "professional" job or not. What I would be looking for is the ability to design and implement a correct solution to some problem -- and ideally to work with other people on it.

 

[Drakkon]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
My company has me do that kind of thing as part of my job. Of course, I'm frequently actually developing new stuff for them, so they have some incentive there. I also work on my own things outside of work sometimes. You can be dedicated and "like programming" without doing it 24/7.

OP -- if you really can't give them even parts of the stuff you work on now, find something older that you did. If you really can't find anything even remotely applicable or recent enough -- ask them to give you an 'assignment' and you can code up a solution. Although I would think that examples of a prototype system would probably be good enough. If you were actually a lead developer/designer of some sort on a commercial product for sale -- that should buy you some credibility (assuming the product works well ).

Someone asking for code samples shouldn't really care if they're from a truly "professional" job or not. What I would be looking for is the ability to design and implement a correct solution to some problem -- and ideally to work with other people on it.

quoted especially for your first part - every company i've worked at staying on top of stuff has been a part of the job. You go through a project then spend a week with some new stuff, and incorporate it in the next project if possible. To me there is no need to stay up on stuff on a daily basis since as soon as a new thing comes out it may prove useless the next week. I think it would make me a worse developer in some instances constantly trying to incorporate new ideas that might ultimately prove not worthwhile.

Thats an interesting idea on the propose a project. I would be kinda wary if they gave me something though that looked like it could be incorporated into a current project or something (in other words getting work done for free). I'd rather be given stuff like that at the interview as I've always been good at handcoding concepts at moments notice.
Luckly my product has worked very well - #432,888 on amazon (which is an accomplishment considering my latest - which has yet to be released - is listed as #1.5 million) so I'm resting on that quite a bit as my main selling point.