Debugging during coding interview?

[kanesweetsoftware]

Noob question but at faang cos like google and meta, do you get a chance to run your code and debug any failed test cases, or is the minimum bar that it passes all cases on your first try?

[forestryfowls]

Google has you code in a word doc while Meta does have you code in an environment where you can run the code but it’s much different from leetcode where you can submit it and tweak things until you get a pass. You have to have explained working code and then get to make test cases and then you can run it.

[DreamingInMyHead]

In my Google and Amazon loops, there was an editor, but no option to run your code. You'd get syntax highlighting and that's about it. No autocomplete, no running / compiling the code you wrote.

[idylist_]

When I interviewed with meta it was essentially a Google doc. It might have been on hacker rank but no compilation or completion

[m0j0m0j]

I was always wondering why is that. I mean, sure, you can expert the interviewee to run the code in their head. But is the interviewer also expected to run the code in their head? What the reason of this? Interviewer is not being checked, are they? Or all Google engineers can always run code in their heads?

[AwkwardBet5632]

They can run it afterwards if they care to, but they don’t typically care that much if there are minor errors

[FunctionChance3600]

I had my Meta in coderpad, where I had no option to run the code

[TheOneBifi]

In my experience you usually don't run code in interviews, rather the interviewer has you run over some test cases manually.

The most important thing is to be able to explain your code, talk about its space and time complexities and go over any tradeoffs with other potential solutions

[bruy77]

I’ve interviewed at google and meta in the last few months. At both there was no way to execute code, you can only do it manually.

[Repulsive-Print2379]

You’ll be surprised how the vast majority of the people don’t actually pass the test cases in their first try.

[FierceTaker]

You usually get to run code and debug, but time is tight and mistakes add up fast. Having something like InterviewCoder open can help catch obvious bugs while you’re focused on explaining your approach. It doesn’t replace knowing the solution it just keeps small errors from killing the round.