I jumped straight into the overdue calculation and nearly forgot to handle the 'not started' case where the target day is before the training even begins.
Start by clarifying the input format and edge cases (e.g., start day after target day, zero training days). Then design a function that computes the completion day as start_day + training_days - 1, compares it to the target day, and returns the appropriate status label and overdue days if applicable. Walk through examples to verify correctness and discuss trade-offs like date handling and status precedence.
Pro tip: Mention that you would use a date library or epoch days to avoid off-by-one errors, and explicitly handle the case where the start day is after the target day (return 'not started' with 0 overdue). Also, clarify whether training days are inclusive of the start day.
Ask about input types (dates as strings, integers, or date objects), whether training days include the start day, and how to handle invalid inputs. Confirm the exact status labels and their precedence.
Determine conditions: if target < start, return 'not started'; if target < start + training_days - 1, return 'in progress'; if target >= start + training_days - 1, return 'completed' (or 'overdue' if target > completion day). Compute overdue days as target - completion day.
Write code that calculates completion_day = start_day + training_days - 1, then uses if-else to return the status and overdue days. Use date arithmetic carefully, e.g., convert dates to epoch days.
Run through examples: target before start, target during training, target on completion day, target after completion day. Verify outputs match expected statuses and overdue counts.
Talk about handling time zones, weekends/holidays, or changing training days. Mention how you would structure the code for readability and testability.
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