Randeft work sample

This work sample is based on a simplified reporting system that extracts data from a source, analyses it and writes the results on the local drive. It is a pure Javascript code sample, no other framework knowledge required. Jest is used for tests, but prior knowledge of Jest is not a requirement: it should be straightforward to extend the existing tests.

The Assignment

To evaluate not only how you code, but how you refactor to handle changing requirements, the assignement is split into two parts:

Part 1

Our client, Materials Science Savvy Maestros, MSSM for short, is asking for a modification to their reporting system.

Please email "mssm.randeft@gmail.com" including a "[MSSM Start]" prefix in the subject line, and you will receive the requirements to get started.

Part 2

After you submit part 1, MSSM will have some new requirements. Change your code as needed to implement them cleanly.

Getting set up

Prerequisites

The development environment is contained in a Docker Dev Environment, so the only things needed on your machine are:

• Git
• Docker Desktop (latest version)
• Visual Studio Code
• Visual Studio Code Remote Containers Extension

The setup will work on both Intel (amd64) and Apple Silicon (arm64) processors.

Create the Dev Environment

Once you have the prerequisites installed, create a new Docker Dev Environment using this repo's cloning URL.

If you a unsure how to proceed, please follow the Create a Dev Environment From a Git Repository instructions. Don't forget to replace the repo URL in the instructions with the URL for this repo.

Once the Dev Environment is started, click "Open in VSCode". A "Starting Dev Container" message will appear at the bottom right. Wait a few seconds until it dissapears, and you should be ready to start.

Open a terminal in VSCode. This will open a shell inside the Dev Environment container, and you should see a prompt like the following:

node ➜ /com.docker.devenvironments.code (main) $

All following npm and other commands are to be run inside that Dev Environment shell.

Note about the Dev Environment lifecycle

Local changes you make in VSCode are persisted in a Docker volume. It is therefore safe to stop and restart the Dev Environment container: your changes, uncommitted code included, will still be there. But do not delete the dev environment: your changes would be lost.

Anonymity Setup

To remove bias, the submissions will be made anonymously. To set up anonymity, in the VSCode terminal, run:

./scripts/anonymize.sh

This will set the Git name to a random string, and Git email to "<>", making all your commits anonymous. You can safely rerun the command when you need to consult your ID later (it will not regenerate a new ID if one has already been set).

Dependency management

To install the dependencies, execute the following inside the repo's top-level folder:

npm install

Unit tests

Verify that the unit tests run without errors with:

npm test unit

Note: for this work sample, we only use unit tests, no integration tests.

Running the reporting system

To run the reporting system:

npm start

This will generate files in the output folder, from files in the raw_data folder.

Repository submission

We will review not only your code but also your commits history. To allow this, please put all your commits on a branch named feature/cloud_upload, and bundle your local Git repository using the following command:

(MSSM_ID=$(git config --local user.name) && git bundle create mssm-${MSSM_ID}.repo --all)

You can then right-click on the created .repo file in VS Code and select "Download..." to copy the file from the Docker container to your local machine.

Work sample review

Your work sample will be evaluated using various criteria. We will pay particular attention to:

• Thoroughness and attention to detail
• Ability to follow instructions
• Consistency with the existing codebase
• Readability and maintainability

Important Notes

• You can and should review the existing codebase, search the Web for solutions, use libraries, etc...
• Each part of this work sample should take 2 to 4 hours, but there is no time limit, you can take as long as you need.
• Feel free to withdraw your application if it is taking you longer that you are willing to commit, no hard feelings or impact on further applications.
• We are looking for any feedback about this work sample itself. Please let us know what you thought about it.