How would you separate code understanding, code generation, and code execution in an agent?

Instruction: Describe the main phases of a coding-agent workflow.

Context: Checks whether the candidate can explain the core concept clearly and connect it to real production decisions. Describe the main phases of a coding-agent workflow.

Updated

Example Answer

I'd give each stage a clear input and output. Understanding produces an evidence map and proposed behavior. Generation produces a patch against a known commit. Execution runs approved checks against that patch in an isolated environment.

For a billing fix, the agent may inspect the calculation and propose changing rounding, but that does not authorize running a production migration. The executor checks the command, environment, and permissions independently. These stages can iterate without needing three separate models or services. If a run fails, I can distinguish wrong evidence, a bad diff, and a blocked or failed command. The tradeoff is extra coordination, so I'd keep the artifacts small and only separate boundaries that actually need different controls.

Why this works

Separates responsibilities without prescribing unnecessary architecture or confusing a generated command with authority.

Practice follow-up

What should return to the generation stage after a test-runner environment failure?

Your preparation path

Work through these questions in order. Read the answer aloud, then explain it in your own words.

1. Start with the foundations

Build the vocabulary and explain the core decisions.

  1. When is a coding agent the right tool instead of autocomplete or manual engineering? Free sample
  2. What information should a coding agent persist between steps? Free sample
  3. Why do tests matter differently for coding agents than for chatbots? Free sample

2. Apply it to a real workflow

Practice diagnosis, validation, and everyday tradeoffs.

  1. What makes a patch proposal safe enough to apply automatically? Free sample
  2. The agent can find the bug, but its patches are hard for humans to review. What would you change? Member answer
  3. How would you verify a coding agent's web feature beyond a passing build and a screenshot? Free sample

3. Prepare for senior discussions

Explain failure boundaries, recovery, and production choices.

  1. A coding agent can modify infrastructure, app code, and data access layers in one task. How do you constrain it? Member answer
  2. Two coding agents change an API and its client in parallel. How would you integrate their work safely? Member answer
  3. A coding-agent hook runs before the repository trust prompt. What is wrong with that design? Member answer

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