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ALGOL 68S+ is an advanced version of the ALGOL 68 programming language, developed in the late 1960s as a universal language for scientific computations. It was designed by IFIP Working Group 2.1, which also created its predecessor, ALGOL 60 (source: "History of Programming Languages", ACM). The 'S+' signifies enhancements made to the original ALGOL 68 standard for improved functionality and efficiency. This high-level language introduced several innovative features such as flexible arrays and parallel processing capabilities (source: "The Evolution of Algol", J.W Backus et al.). Despite its sophistication, it saw limited adoption due to its complexity and competition from other languages like FORTRAN and COBOL.

Ask the right questions secure the right ALGOL 68S+ talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General ALGOL 68S+ app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in ALGOL 68S+ application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

How would you define the ALGOL 68S+ language?

ALGOL 68S+ is a variant of the ALGOL 68 programming language, designed to be a more compact and efficient version of the original language. It retains the powerful features of ALGOL 68, such as its expressive syntax and strong typing, while adding improvements in areas like memory management and runtime performance.

What are the key features of ALGOL 68S+?

Key features of ALGOL 68S+ include its strong typing, expressive syntax, efficient memory management, and powerful runtime performance. It also supports a wide range of programming paradigms, including procedural, imperative, and structured programming.

Describe the difference between ALGOL 68 and ALGOL 68S+.

The main difference between ALGOL 68 and ALGOL 68S+ is that the latter is designed to be more compact and efficient. While ALGOL 68 is known for its expressive syntax and strong typing, ALGOL 68S+ adds improvements in areas like memory management and runtime performance.

How would you declare and initialize a variable in ALGOL 68S+?

In ALGOL 68S+, a variable can be declared and initialized using the 'INT' keyword followed by the variable name and the ':=' operator. For example, 'INT a := 10;' declares and initializes an integer variable 'a' with the value 10.

What are the data types available in ALGOL 68S+?

ALGOL 68S+ supports a variety of data types, including integers (INT), real numbers (REAL), booleans (BOOL), characters (CHAR), and arrays. It also supports complex data types, such as structures and unions.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate possess a deep understanding of ALGOL 68S+?

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively about technical concepts?

Does the candidate show a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies or methodologies?

Next 20 minutes

Specific ALGOL 68S+ 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.

Describe the difference between a procedure and a routine in ALGOL 68S+.

In ALGOL 68S+, a procedure is a named sequence of statements that performs a specific task, while a routine is a general term that can refer to either a procedure or a function. The main difference is that a function returns a value, while a procedure does not.

How would you write a conditional statement in ALGOL 68S+?

In ALGOL 68S+, a conditional statement can be written using the 'IF' keyword, followed by the condition, the 'THEN' keyword, and the statements to be executed if the condition is true. For example, 'IF a > b THEN print ("a is greater than b");'.

What are the looping constructs available in ALGOL 68S+?

ALGOL 68S+ supports several looping constructs, including 'FOR', 'WHILE', and 'DO WHILE'. These constructs allow for iteration over a block of code a specified number of times, or until a certain condition is met.

Describe the difference between 'FOR' and 'WHILE' loops in ALGOL 68S+.

In ALGOL 68S+, a 'FOR' loop is used when you know the exact number of times a block of code needs to be executed, while a 'WHILE' loop is used when the number of iterations is not known in advance and depends on a certain condition being met.

How would you define an array in ALGOL 68S+?

In ALGOL 68S+, an array can be defined using the 'ARRAY' keyword followed by the array size and the data type of the elements. For example, 'ARRAY [1:10] OF INT a;' defines an array 'a' of integers with 10 elements.

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At this point, a skilled ALGOL 68S+ engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in ALGOL 68S+ 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 ALGOL 68S+.

What does this simple ALGOL 68S+ code do?
BEGIN INT x := 5; INT y := 10; INT sum := x + y; print((sum, new line)) END
This code declares two integer variables x and y, assigns them the values 5 and 10 respectively. Then it declares another integer variable sum and assigns it the value of the sum of x and y. Finally, it prints the value of sum followed by a new line.
What will be the output of this ALGOL 68S+ code?
BEGIN REAL x := 3.14; REAL y := 2.71; REAL product := x * y; print((product, new line)) END
This code declares two real variables x and y, assigns them the values 3.14 and 2.71 respectively. Then it declares another real variable product and assigns it the value of the product of x and y. Finally, it prints the value of product followed by a new line. The output will be the product of 3.14 and 2.71.
What does this ALGOL 68S+ code do related to array manipulation?
BEGIN [1:5]INT array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5); FOR i FROM LWB array TO UPB array DO array[i] := array[i] * 2 OD; print((array, new line)) END
This code declares an array of integers with 5 elements and assigns it the values 1 through 5. Then it uses a FOR loop to iterate over the array, doubling each element. Finally, it prints the modified array followed by a new line.
What does this ALGOL 68S+ code do related to threading or concurrency?
BEGIN SEMA semaphore := INIT SEMA(1); CO BEGIN DOWN(semaphore); print(("Critical Section", new line)); UP(semaphore) CO END END
This code declares a semaphore with an initial value of 1. Then it enters a concurrent block of code. Inside this block, it first decreases the semaphore value (DOWN operation), then prints the string 'Critical Section', and finally increases the semaphore value (UP operation). This is a basic example of synchronization in concurrent programming.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for ALGOL 68S+ 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 ALGOL 68S+ application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are the string manipulation functions available in ALGOL 68S+?

ALGOL 68S+ provides several functions for string manipulation, including 'LENGTH' to get the length of a string, 'SUBSTRING' to extract a substring, and 'CONCAT' to concatenate two strings.

Describe the difference between a 'MODE' and a 'PROC' in ALGOL 68S+.

In ALGOL 68S+, a 'MODE' is a data type, while a 'PROC' is a procedure. A 'MODE' declaration defines a new data type, while a 'PROC' declaration defines a new procedure that can perform operations on data types.

How would you handle exceptions in ALGOL 68S+?

ALGOL 68S+ does not have built-in support for exception handling in the way that some other languages do. However, you can simulate exception handling using conditional statements to check for error conditions and take appropriate action.

ALGOL 68S+ application related

Product Perfect's ALGOL 68S+ development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your ALGOL 68S+ engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in ALGOL 68S+ projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

ALGOL 68S+ Consultive assessments

ALGOL 68S+ Application Conversion Assessment ALGOL 68S+ Application Integration Assessment ALGOL 68S+ Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom ALGOL 68S+ development projects

Custom ALGOL 68S+ App Conversion ALGOL 68S+ Custom App Development Process App UI Design for ALGOL 68S+ Facelifts

Hiring guide for ALGOL 68S+ Engineers

ALGOL 68S+ Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the ALGOL 68S+ engineer at this point.

ALGOL 68S+ Consultive assessments

Custom ALGOL 68S+ development projects