I've had a couple of interviews for programmer positions in the past couple of weeks, and just about all of them have presented me with programming challenges. Write a program with XX language that can solve XX puzzle or problem, etc. I've had no problem answering the questions. What I'm unsure about is what the depth and breadth my response should be.

What would an ideal response look like? How much oomph and time should I spend on elements of the code that aren't crucial to it running (Comments, Javadoc, error handling, etc.)? What if I have 1 hour/6 hours/a whole weekend to spend on it? What are the most important aspects of my response to the interviewer? What's worked for you in the past or what worked on you as an interviewer?

I'm definitely one of those folks that can go all out on a project and make it truly shine, but I don't want to give them the impression that I'm going to waste their time and money on stuff they may not want or care about.

I have a sneaking feeling there is no "wrong" way to respond to the challenge; each response has a redeeming quality about it, and the goals of the interview are subjective. Regardless, I would love your thoughts and input on this.