Hiring guide for C2x Engineers

C2x Developer Hiring Guide

C2x is the unofficial name for the next (possibly in 2023) planned standard for the C programming language. It is intended to be a replacement for the existing C17 standard and aims to fix some of the issues that have been identified in the current version. The exact features and changes that will be included in C2x are not yet finalized, but it is expected to include improvements in areas such as type safety, memory management, and concurrency. Like its predecessors, C2x will be developed by the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) working group WG14.

Ask the right questions secure the right C2x talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General C2x app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in C2x application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

How would you describe the purpose of C2x?
C2x is the next planned standard for the C programming language. Its purpose is to improve the language while maintaining the spirit of C, with changes like new features, bug fixes, and better compatibility with other languages.
What are some new features introduced in C2x?
Some new features in C2x include support for decimal floating point arithmetic, improved multithreading support, and new library functions.
Describe the difference between C11 and C2x.
C2x introduces a number of new features and improvements over C11, such as better support for multithreading, decimal floating point arithmetic, and new library functions.
How would you use the _Generic keyword in C2x?
The _Generic keyword in C2x is used for type generic programming. It allows writing code that can work with multiple data types.
What are the benefits of using C2x over older versions of C?
C2x provides many benefits over older versions of C, including more features, better performance, and improved compatibility with other languages.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of C2x language features?
Can the candidate solve complex problems using C2x?
Has the candidate demonstrated good communication skills?
Does the candidate have experience with large-scale projects?

Next 20 minutes

Specific C2x 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 C2x and C++.
While both are extensions of the C programming language, C++ focuses more on features like object-oriented programming, while C2x focuses on improving the core C language.
How would you handle multithreading in C2x?
C2x provides improved support for multithreading through features like atomic operations and thread-local storage.
What are the drawbacks of using C2x?
Some drawbacks of using C2x include the need to learn new features and the possibility of incompatibility with older C code.
Describe the difference between C2x and other programming languages.
C2x, like other versions of C, is a low-level language that provides more control over the hardware, unlike higher-level languages like Python or Java.
How would you use decimal floating point arithmetic in C2x?
C2x introduces support for decimal floating point arithmetic, which can be used for more precise calculations.
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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the C2x engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled C2x engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in C2x 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 C2x.

What does the following simple C2x code do?
int main() {
    printf('Hello, World!');
    return 0;
}
This code prints 'Hello, World!' to the standard output.
What will be the output of the following C2x code?
int main() {
    int a = 10;
    int b = 20;
    printf('%d', a+b);
    return 0;
}
The output of this code will be '30'. It adds the integers 'a' and 'b' and prints the result.
What does the following C2x code do?
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 initializes an array with 5 elements and then prints each element of the array.
What does the following C2x code do?
#include 
void *printHello(void *threadid) {
    printf('Hello from thread %d', threadid);
    pthread_exit(NULL);
}
int main() {
    pthread_t threads[5];
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        pthread_create(&threads[i], NULL, printHello, (void *)i);
    }
    return 0;
}
This code creates 5 threads and each thread prints a message that includes its ID.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for C2x 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 C2x application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are the changes in the standard library in C2x?
C2x introduces new library functions and improves existing ones for better performance and functionality.
Describe the difference between C2x and C#.
C2x is a low-level language that gives more control over the hardware, while C# is a high-level language that focuses on ease of use and productivity.
How would you handle memory management in C2x?
C2x, like other versions of C, requires manual memory management. This involves allocating memory when needed and freeing it when no longer needed.

C2x application related

Product Perfect's C2x development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your C2x engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in C2x projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.