Product Perfect

C is a high-level computer programming language developed in the early 1970s at Bell Labs by Dennis Ritchie. It was created to design the UNIX operating system, making it one of the first languages to be associated with system software. C's efficiency and flexibility have made it a pervasive language in application and system programming, influencing many subsequent languages such as C++, C#, and Objective-C. Its syntax serves as a common denominator for programmers worldwide due to its wide adoption in coding education. Despite being over five decades old, C remains relevant today due to its simplicity, efficiency, and versatility (source: "The Development of the C Language" by Dennis M. Ritchie).

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

First 20 minutes

General C-- app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in C-- 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 C--?

You can declare a variable in C-- by specifying its type followed by the variable name. For instance, 'int myVariable;' declares an integer variable named myVariable.

What are the basic data types in C--?

The basic data types in C-- include int (integer), float (floating point number), double (double precision floating point number), char (character), and bool (boolean).

Describe the difference between '==' and '===' in C--.

In C--, '==' is an equality operator that compares the values of two operands. '===' is not a valid operator in C--.

How would you use a conditional statement in C--?

You can use a conditional statement in C-- with the 'if' keyword, followed by the condition in parentheses, and then the code block to execute if the condition is true in curly braces. For example: 'if (condition) { code block }'.

What is the purpose of a function in C--?

A function in C-- is a block of code that performs a specific task. Functions help in code reusability, modularity and can be called multiple times within a program.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate show a solid understanding of the C-- language?

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

Is the candidate able to explain complex concepts in simple terms?

Has the candidate talked about their experience with debugging and optimizing C-- code?

Next 20 minutes

Specific C-- 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 local variable and a global variable in C--.

A local variable is declared within a function and can only be accessed within that function. A global variable is declared outside all functions and can be accessed by any function within the program.

How would you handle exceptions in C--?

C-- does not support exception handling in the same way as some other languages. Error handling in C-- is usually done through return codes, where the function returns a specific value to indicate an error.

What are pointers in C-- and how would you use them?

Pointers in C-- are variables that hold memory addresses. They are used for dynamic memory allocation, function pointers, and data structures like trees and graph.

Describe the difference between a stack and a heap in C--.

The stack is used for static memory allocation and the heap is used for dynamic memory allocation. Variables created on the stack will have their memory automatically deallocated when they go out of scope. Variables created on the heap must have their memory manually deallocated.

How would you implement recursion in C--?

Recursion in C-- is implemented by having a function call itself within its own definition. It's important to have a base case that will stop the recursion, otherwise it can lead to infinite loop or stack overflow.

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

What does this simple C-- code do?
int main() { int a = 5; int b = 10; int c = a + b; return 0; }
This code declares two integer variables 'a' and 'b', assigns them the values 5 and 10 respectively, then adds them together and assigns the result to a third integer variable 'c'.
What will be the output of this C-- code?
int main() { int a = 5; int b = 10; printf('%d', a + b); return 0; }
The output of this code will be '15'. It adds the values of 'a' and 'b' and prints the result.
What does this C-- code do with the array?
int main() { int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) { printf('%d ', arr[i]); } return 0; }
This code declares an array of 5 integers, assigns values to it, then uses a for loop to print each value in the array.
What does this C-- code do related to threading?
int main() { pthread_t thread1, thread2; pthread_create(&thread1, NULL, printHello, NULL); pthread_create(&thread2, NULL, printWorld, NULL); pthread_join(thread1, NULL); pthread_join(thread2, NULL); return 0; }
This code creates two threads, 'thread1' and 'thread2'. It then starts both threads, with 'thread1' executing the 'printHello' function and 'thread2' executing the 'printWorld' function. The main thread then waits for both 'thread1' and 'thread2' to finish execution before it itself finishes execution.

Wrap-up questions

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

What are the different types of loops in C--?

C-- supports several types of loops including 'for', 'while', and 'do while'. Each loop type has a specific use case depending on the needs of the program.

Describe the difference between pass by value and pass by reference in C--.

In pass by value, a copy of the variable is passed to the function, changes made in the function do not affect the original variable. In pass by reference, a reference to the actual variable is passed to the function, changes made in the function will affect the original variable.

How would you use a pointer to a function in C--?

A pointer to a function in C-- is a variable that holds the memory address of a function. It can be used to call the function it points to or to pass the function as a parameter to another function.

C-- application related

Product Perfect's C-- development capabilities

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

C-- Consultive assessments

C-- Application Conversion Assessment C-- Application Integration Assessment C-- Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom C-- development projects

Custom C-- App Conversion C-- Custom App Development Process App UI Design for C-- Facelifts

Hiring guide for C-- Engineers

C-- Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

C-- Consultive assessments

Custom C-- development projects