Picking up Ruby, as a Python Dev & interview questions

#ruby #python #codenewbie

This is a continuation of Picking up Ruby Fast, as a Python Dev. Again, expect examples with no math and no crappy names

Variable Assignment in an `if` statement

In Ruby, you can assign variables in an if statement. This can't be done in Python. Not sure why I'd ever want to do this, but now I know that I can. Seems like it would be a bad idea.

#ruby
if cat_age = 12
  puts "The cat is #{cat_age}"
else
  puts "The cat is not #{cat_age}"
end

Decisions with `if`

Making decisions with if in Python is pretty much always the same. It seems there are several options in Ruby.

#python
cat_age = 12
dog_age = 5

if cat_age > dog_age:
    print("Cat is older than dog")
else:
    print("Dog is older than Cat")

#ruby
cat_age = 12
dog_age = 5

# option 1
if cat_age > dog_age
  puts "Cat is older than dog"
elsif 
  puts "Dog is older than cat"
end

# option 2
puts "Cat is older than dog" if cat_age > dog_age
puts "Dog is older than cat" if dog_age > cat_age

Checking for Empty String

There are plenty of different ways to do the same thing. Yet, Ruby's empty? method is really intriguing me more than it should. It just makes so much sense. In Python, you'd typically just compare things with the not operator.

#python
username = "Vicki"

if not username.strip():
    print('empty String: please enter a username')
else:
    print("not empty: success")

#ruby
username = "Vicki"

  if username.to_s.empty?
    puts "empty String: please enter a username"
  elsif
    puts "not empty: success"

A Few More Quick Points of Difference

Ruby	Python
`&&`	`and`
`end`	not 4 spaces or tabbed in
Can use some characters in nameing. like `meal_time?`	Only underscores like `is_it_meal_time`

Interview Questions to Ask the interviewer(s)

Not sure if you caught this, but I'm learning Ruby for the sole purpose of a potential job. So, I'm working on some questions to ask the interviewer(s). Here's kinda what I plan to ask:

Did I answer all of your questions?
Ruby is new to me and I've heard it's expressive. How does that help the job?
Did anything change at the start of the pandemic?
Is there anything I've said that makes you doubt I would be a great fit for this position?
Do you have any unpaid interns or fellows?

And, I was gonna ask something like:

How would you score the company on current DEI initiatives

but I got a better suggestion from @robocel

Rob Ocel

@robocell

@vicki_langer Yeah something like:
"How has the way you've worked as a company and/or an engineering team changed this year in light of the pandemic and demonstrations for social justice?"

If you can read subtext, I think you'll know within 15s of asking that what the score is at that place.

21:29 PM - 16 Nov 2020

If you have any suggestions on what to ask, I'd love to hear them. I'm super excited about this potential job and hoping they'll know I am very very willing and capable of learning.

If you missed the first post in this series, I've heard it's a good read and there's cats.