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BCPL (Basic Combined Programming Language) is a procedural, imperative, and structured computer programming language. Designed by Martin Richards of the University of Cambridge in 1967, it was originally intended for writing compilers for other languages. BCPL has been influential in the development of other languages like B and C. This software programming language is characterized by its simplicity and portability, making it a popular choice for system software and embedded systems. The detailed history and features of BCPL can be found in the book "BCPL - the language and its compiler" by Martin Richards and Colin Whitby-Strevens.

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

First 20 minutes

General BCPL app knowledge and experience

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

How would you declare a variable in BCPL?

In BCPL, a variable is declared using the 'let' keyword. For example, 'let variableName = value'.

What are the data types supported by BCPL?

BCPL is a typeless or untyped language. It only recognizes everything as a 'word', which is a fixed number of bits, typically 16 or 32.

How would you create a function in BCPL?

In BCPL, functions are defined using the 'let' keyword, followed by the function name, parameters in parentheses, and the function body enclosed in brackets. For example, 'let functionName(parameters) = (function body)'.

Describe the difference between 'valof' and 'resultis' in BCPL.

'valof' and 'resultis' are used in function definitions. 'valof' starts a sequence of statements and 'resultis' is used to specify the value that the function should return.

What is the purpose of the 'manifest' keyword in BCPL?

The 'manifest' keyword in BCPL is used to declare constants. For example, 'manifest constantName = value'.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have strong knowledge of BCPL language?

Can the candidate solve problems using BCPL?

How well does the candidate understand other programming languages?

Is the candidate able to work as part of a team?

Next 20 minutes

Specific BCPL 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 implement conditional statements in BCPL?

Conditional statements in BCPL can be implemented using the 'if', 'unless', 'test' keywords. For example, 'if condition then statement' or 'unless condition do statement'.

What are the looping structures in BCPL?

BCPL supports 'repeatuntil', 'while', and 'for' looping structures.

How would you handle arrays in BCPL?

In BCPL, arrays can be declared using the 'vec' keyword. For example, 'let arrayName = vec numberOfElements'.

Describe the difference between 'lvalue' and 'rvalue' in BCPL.

'lvalue' refers to a value that has a persistent address in memory, while 'rvalue' refers to a value that does not have a persistent memory address.

What is the purpose of the 'section' keyword in BCPL?

The 'section' keyword in BCPL is used to divide the program into separate parts or sections.

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

What does this simple BCPL code do?
LET START() = VALOF $( WRITES("Hello, World!") $)
This code prints out 'Hello, World!' to the standard output.
What does this BCPL code snippet do?
LET START() = VALOF
$(
    LET X IS 10
    LET Y IS 20
    X := Y
$)
This code declares two variables, X and Y, assigns them the values 10 and 20 respectively, then assigns the value of Y to X. So, X will now hold the value 20.
What does this BCPL code snippet do?
LET START() = VALOF
$(
    LET V = VEC 5
    FOR I = 1 TO 5 DO V!I := I
$)
This code creates a vector V with 5 elements, then assigns the values 1 to 5 to the elements of the vector in a loop.
What will be the output of this BCPL code snippet?
GLOBAL $( LET X = 10, Y = 20, Z = 30 $)
LET START() = VALOF
$(
    WRITES(X)
    WRITES(Y)
    WRITES(Z)
$)
This code declares three global variables X, Y and Z and assigns them the values 10, 20 and 30 respectively. It then prints out the values of these variables to the standard output in the order they were declared.

Wrap-up questions

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

How would you handle errors in BCPL?

Error handling in BCPL is typically done using conditional statements to check for error conditions and then taking appropriate action.

What are the different types of operators available in BCPL?

BCPL has arithmetic operators, relational operators, logical operators, bitwise operators, and assignment operators.

Describe the difference between 'global' and 'static' in BCPL.

'global' in BCPL is used to declare a variable that is accessible throughout the program, while 'static' is used to declare a variable that retains its value between function calls.

BCPL application related

Product Perfect's BCPL development capabilities

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

BCPL Consultive assessments

BCPL Application Conversion Assessment BCPL Application Integration Assessment BCPL Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom BCPL development projects

Custom BCPL App Conversion BCPL Custom App Development Process App UI Design for BCPL Facelifts

Hiring guide for BCPL Engineers

BCPL Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

BCPL Consultive assessments

Custom BCPL development projects