Hiring guide for Ada 83X Engineers

Ada 83X Developer Hiring Guide

Ada 83X is a version of the Ada programming language, which was standardized in 1983. It is a statically typed, structured and object-oriented high-level computer programming language. Ada 83X was designed by the U.S Department of Defense for use in embedded systems and large-scale software systems development. It features strong typing, run-time checking, parallel processing capabilities and exception handling among others. However, it's worth noting that there isn't any specific version known as "Ada 83X", rather it might refer to an unspecified minor revision or variant of the original Ada 83 standard.

Ask the right questions secure the right Ada 83X talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General Ada 83X app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in Ada 83X application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

What are the fundamental data types in Ada 83X?
The fundamental data types in Ada 83X are Integer, Float, Character, Boolean, Duration, and access types.
How would you define a new type in Ada 83X?
In Ada 83X, a new type is defined using the 'type' keyword. For example, 'type New_Type is range 1..10;' defines a new integer type named New_Type with a range from 1 to 10.
Describe the difference between a procedure and a function in Ada 83X.
In Ada 83X, a procedure is a subprogram that performs an action, but does not return a value. A function, on the other hand, also performs an action but it returns a value.
What is an exception in Ada 83X and how would you handle it?
An exception in Ada 83X is an event that interrupts the normal flow of execution. It is handled using exception handlers that are defined in the 'exception' part of a block or subprogram.
How would you declare and initialize an array in Ada 83X?
In Ada 83X, an array is declared using the 'array' keyword and initialized using the '=>' symbol. For example, 'Array_Type : array (1..5) of Integer := (others => 0);' declares and initializes an array of integers with five elements, all set to zero.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of Ada 83X language?
Can the candidate demonstrate experience with large system development using Ada 83X?
Has the candidate shown problem-solving skills during the interview?
Is the candidate familiar with the software development life cycle (SDLC)?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Ada 83X development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should focus on the candidate's expertise with specific backend frameworks, their understanding of RESTful APIs, and their experience in handling data storage and retrieval efficiently.

What are the control structures in Ada 83X?
The control structures in Ada 83X are sequence, selection (if and case), and iteration (for, while, and loop).
How would you define a record in Ada 83X?
In Ada 83X, a record is defined using the 'record' keyword. For example, 'type Record_Type is record Field1 : Integer; Field2 : Float; end record;' defines a record type with two fields, an integer and a float.
Describe the difference between a package specification and a package body in Ada 83X.
In Ada 83X, a package specification declares the public types, variables, constants, and subprograms that can be used by other units. A package body defines the private types and implements the subprograms declared in the specification.
What are discriminants in Ada 83X and how would you use them?
Discriminants in Ada 83X are special fields in a record type that can vary the structure of the record. They are used to create variant records, where different variants can have different fields.
How would you implement inheritance in Ada 83X?
In Ada 83X, inheritance is implemented using the 'new' keyword in a type declaration. For example, 'type Derived_Type is new Base_Type;' defines a new type that inherits from Base_Type.
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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the Ada 83X engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled Ada 83X engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in Ada 83X programming language, and knowledge of software development methodologies. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with standard coding practices.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with Ada 83X.

What does this simple Ada 83X code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Hello is
begin
  Put_Line ('Hello, world!');
end Hello;
This code prints 'Hello, world!' to the standard output.
What will be the output of this Ada 83X code?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Main is
  X : Integer := 10;
  Y : Integer := 20;
begin
  Put_Line (Integer'Image (X + Y));
end Main;
This code will output '30' to the standard output.
What does this Ada 83X code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Main is
  type Array_Type is array (1 .. 5) of Integer;
  Array_Var : Array_Type := (others => 0);
begin
  for I in Array_Var'Range loop
    Put_Line (Integer'Image (Array_Var (I)));
  end loop;
end Main;
This code declares an array of 5 integers, initializes them all to 0, and then prints each element of the array to the standard output.
What does this Ada 83X code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
with Ada.Task_Identification;
procedure Main is
  task type My_Task is
    entry Start;
  end My_Task;
  task body My_Task is
  begin
    Put_Line ('Hello from task!');
  end My_Task;
  T : My_Task;
begin
  T.Start;
end Main;
This code declares a task type 'My_Task' with an entry point 'Start'. It then creates an instance of 'My_Task', and starts the task. The task prints 'Hello from task!' to the standard output.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Ada 83X Developer role questions

The final few questions should evaluate the candidate's teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, assess their knowledge of microservices architecture, serverless computing, and how they handle Ada 83X application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are generic units in Ada 83X and how would you define one?
Generic units in Ada 83X are templates for creating other units. A generic unit is defined using the 'generic' keyword, followed by a list of formal parameters, and then the unit specification.
Describe the difference between a task and a protected type in Ada 83X.
In Ada 83X, a task is a concurrent unit of execution, while a protected type is a data type that provides controlled access to its data to ensure consistency in concurrent situations.
How would you implement a task in Ada 83X?
In Ada 83X, a task is implemented using the 'task' keyword, followed by the task specification. The task body is defined in a separate 'task body' block.

Ada 83X application related

Product Perfect's Ada 83X development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your Ada 83X engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in Ada 83X projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.