Coding Interview Preparation

14 Patterns for Coding Interviews

Key Interview Patterns

  • Sliding Window: Substring/subarray problems
  • Two Pointers: Array problems with sorted data
  • Fast & Slow Pointers: Cycle detection problems
  • Merge Intervals: Overlapping intervals
  • Cyclic Sort: Array problems involving consecutive integers
  • In-place Reversal: Linked list reversal problems
  • Tree BFS/DFS: Binary tree traversal problems
  • Dynamic Programming: Optimization problems

Curated LeetCode Problems

  • Top 75 LeetCode Questions - Blind
  • Community-curated list of essential interview problems
  • Focuses on most frequently asked questions
  • Efficient preparation strategy for technical interviews

Developer Platform Tools

Backstage - Developer Portal Platform

  • GitHub - backstage/backstage
  • Open platform for building developer portals
  • Originally developed by Spotify, now open-source
  • Unifies tooling, services, and documentation

Backstage Features

  • Service Catalog: Centralized inventory of software components
  • Software Templates: Standardized project scaffolding
  • TechDocs: Documentation integrated with code
  • Plugin Ecosystem: Extensible architecture for custom integrations
  • Kubernetes Integration: Container orchestration insights

Developer Experience Benefits

  • Discovery: Easy finding of services, APIs, and documentation
  • Standardization: Consistent development practices across teams
  • Self-Service: Developers can provision resources independently
  • Visibility: Clear ownership and dependencies
  • Productivity: Reduced friction in daily development tasks

Writing and Academic Resources

APA Style Abbreviations

  • APA Style 6th Edition Blog: Abbreviations
  • Official guidance on abbreviation usage in academic writing
  • Rules for creating and using abbreviations in formal writing
  • Important for academic and professional documentation

Creative and Privacy Tools

Tengwar Elvish Transcriber

  • Tengwar Feanor Elvish Transcriber
  • Tool for converting text to Tolkien’s Elvish script
  • Creative application of linguistic and typographic knowledge
  • Demonstrates intersection of fantasy literature and web technology

Privacy-Focused Browsers

  • Web Browsers | PrivacyTools
  • Curated list of privacy-respecting web browsers
  • Analysis of browser privacy features and concerns
  • Essential resource for privacy-conscious users

Privacy Browser Considerations

  • Data Collection: What information browsers collect and share
  • Tracking Protection: Built-in protections against web tracking
  • Extension Support: Ability to install privacy-enhancing extensions
  • Open Source: Transparency through open-source development
  • Default Settings: Privacy-friendly defaults vs. user configuration

Command Line Tips

LESS Pager Color Configuration

  • LESS Environment Variable: Setting -R flag for color support
  • Git Integration: Proper color rendering in git commands
  • Terminal Colors: Ensuring ANSI escape sequences render correctly
  • Practical Usage: Small configuration details that improve daily workflow

Key Takeaways

  • Pattern Recognition: Systematic approaches to problem-solving improve interview performance
  • Developer Experience: Centralized developer portals significantly improve team productivity
  • Community Curation: Crowd-sourced lists provide efficient learning paths
  • Privacy Awareness: Browser choice has significant privacy implications
  • Tool Diversity: Specialized tools exist for very specific needs (like Elvish script)
  • Configuration Details: Small setup details can greatly impact daily workflow

These resources span from practical interview preparation to enterprise developer tooling to privacy considerations, showing the breadth of concerns in modern software development and digital literacy.