Hiring guide for BANCStar Engineers

BANCStar Developer Hiring Guide

BANCStar programming language, developed in the 1980s by BANCStar Inc., is a specialized, low-level language primarily used in the banking industry for screen design and flow of operations. The language was initially created to support BANCStar's financial applications on IBM minicomputers. It is known for its unique coding style, using numbers rather than typical programming constructs, which can make it challenging to understand and maintain. Despite its complexity, BANCStar has proven resilient over time due to its specific utility in banking systems. Information about this programming language is sourced from various technical documentation and historical references on legacy banking software systems.

Ask the right questions secure the right BANCStar talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General BANCStar app knowledge and experience

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

How would you describe the basic structure of a BANCStar program?
A BANCStar program is made up of a series of instructions, each of which is a four-part number. The first part is the operation code, the second part is the screen number, the third part is the field number, and the fourth part is the operation value.
What are the key components of BANCStar programming?
The key components of BANCStar programming are the operation code, screen number, field number, and operation value. These four parts make up each instruction in a BANCStar program.
How would you use the operation code in a BANCStar program?
The operation code in a BANCStar program is used to specify the type of operation to be performed. For example, an operation code of 1 indicates a display operation, while an operation code of 2 indicates a calculation operation.
Describe the difference between a display operation and a calculation operation in BANCStar programming.
A display operation in BANCStar programming is used to display a field on the screen, while a calculation operation is used to perform a calculation and store the result in a field.
What are some common operation codes in BANCStar programming and what do they represent?
Some common operation codes in BANCStar programming include 1 for display operations, 2 for calculation operations, 3 for conditional operations, and 4 for control operations. Each of these codes represents a different type of operation that can be performed in a BANCStar program.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a deep understanding of BANCStar programming language?
Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving abilities?
Is the candidate familiar with banking applications?
Has the candidate shown good communication skills?

Next 20 minutes

Specific BANCStar 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.

How would you create a conditional operation in a BANCStar program?
To create a conditional operation in a BANCStar program, you would use an operation code of 3. The screen number would specify the condition to be tested, the field number would specify the field to be tested, and the operation value would specify the value to be compared.
Describe the difference between a field number and an operation value in BANCStar programming.
The field number in BANCStar programming specifies the field to be operated on, while the operation value specifies the value to be used in the operation. For example, in a display operation, the field number would specify the field to be displayed, and the operation value would specify the value to be displayed.
What are some common challenges in BANCStar programming and how would you overcome them?
Some common challenges in BANCStar programming include the complexity of the four-part instruction format and the lack of modern programming features. To overcome these challenges, it's important to have a thorough understanding of the BANCStar programming language and to use careful planning and organization when writing BANCStar programs.
How would you debug a BANCStar program?
Debugging a BANCStar program involves carefully reviewing the program instructions, checking for errors in the operation codes, screen numbers, field numbers, and operation values, and testing the program to ensure it performs as expected.
Describe the difference between a control operation and a conditional operation in BANCStar programming.
A control operation in BANCStar programming is used to control the flow of the program, such as by jumping to a different part of the program. A conditional operation, on the other hand, performs an operation based on a condition, such as comparing a field value to a specified value.
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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the BANCStar engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled BANCStar engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in BANCStar 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 BANCStar.

What does this simple BANCStar code do?
11110,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
This code defines a screen with 9 fields. The first number '11110' is the screen number and the following numbers are the field numbers.
What is the purpose of this BANCStar code snippet?
11110,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
22220,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
This code defines two screens, each with 9 fields. The first number in each line is the screen number and the following numbers are the field numbers.
What does this BANCStar code snippet do?
11110,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
22220,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
33330,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
44440,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
This code defines four screens, each with 9 fields. The first number in each line is the screen number and the following numbers are the field numbers.
What does this BANCStar code snippet do?
11110,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
22220,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
33330,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
44440,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
55550,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
This code defines five screens, each with 9 fields. The first number in each line is the screen number and the following numbers are the field numbers.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for BANCStar 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 BANCStar application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

How would you optimize a BANCStar program for performance?
Optimizing a BANCStar program for performance involves carefully reviewing the program instructions to eliminate unnecessary operations, optimizing the use of conditional and control operations to reduce the number of instructions executed, and testing the program to ensure it performs as expected.
What are some best practices for BANCStar programming?
Some best practices for BANCStar programming include using clear and descriptive names for fields, organizing program instructions in a logical and understandable way, and thoroughly testing the program to ensure it performs as expected.
How would you handle errors in a BANCStar program?
Handling errors in a BANCStar program involves using conditional operations to check for error conditions, using control operations to handle errors when they occur, and providing clear and informative error messages to the user.

BANCStar application related

Product Perfect's BANCStar development capabilities

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

BANCStar Consultive assessments

Custom BANCStar development projects

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