The canceled order part was easy, I knocked that out fast.
Clarify the input format and business rules, then design a solution that computes base pay for each order and separately handles double-pay windows by merging overlapping intervals and calculating the overlap duration with delivered orders. Emphasize modularity, edge cases, and the cap at double pay.
Pro tip: Demonstrate awareness of real-world data issues by asking about time zone handling, rounding of durations, and whether double-pay windows can span across orders. This shows you think beyond the happy path.
Ask about input format (e.g., list of orders with start/end times, status, hourly rate), how duration is calculated (e.g., from start to end), and the exact rules for canceled orders and double-pay windows.
Propose representing orders and double-pay windows as intervals. For each delivered order, compute base pay as duration * hourly rate. For double-pay, merge overlapping windows and compute overlap with each delivered order, then add an equal amount of bonus pay (capped at double).
Consider edge cases: zero-duration orders, canceled orders with no duration, double-pay windows that partially overlap, multiple overlapping windows, and orders that span multiple windows. Validate with examples.
Discuss time and space complexity (e.g., O(n log n) for sorting intervals). Mention trade-offs between simplicity and efficiency, and how you might optimize for large datasets.
Walk through a concrete example to verify the logic, then summarize the solution and its assumptions. Be prepared to write pseudocode or actual code if asked.
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