Product Perfect

CLIPS (C Language Integrated Production System) is a public domain software tool used for building expert systems. Developed by NASA during the mid-1980s, it is a rule-based programming language that allows for the creation of software programs that make decisions based on complex rules or heuristics. CLIPS incorporates a forward-chaining rule-based language, an object-oriented language, and a procedural programming language, making it versatile for various applications. It's widely used in research, commercial applications, and for teaching artificial intelligence courses.

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

First 20 minutes

General CLIPS app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define CLIPS?

CLIPS stands for C Language Integrated Production System. It's a public domain software tool for building expert systems, which are programs that use artificial intelligence to solve problems. CLIPS uses a rule-based programming language that is easy to learn and use.

What are the main components of CLIPS?

The main components of CLIPS are the fact-list, the rule base, and the agenda. The fact-list is the database of facts that the system knows, the rule base contains the rules that tell the system how to reason, and the agenda is the list of actions that the system plans to take.

Describe the difference between forward chaining and backward chaining in CLIPS.

Forward chaining is a method where the inference engine starts with the known facts and asserts new facts. Backward chaining, on the other hand, starts with a goal and works backward to find facts that support that goal.

How would you use variables in CLIPS?

Variables in CLIPS are used to match patterns in facts. They are denoted by a question mark followed by the variable name. For example, ?x would match any single field in a fact.

What are the different types of facts in CLIPS?

There are two types of facts in CLIPS: ordered and unordered. Ordered facts are lists of values, while unordered facts are sets of attribute-value pairs.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of CLIPS language?

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

Is the candidate familiar with the latest trends and updates in the field of CLIPS development?

Can the candidate communicate effectively about technical concepts?

Next 20 minutes

Specific CLIPS 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 define a rule in CLIPS?

A rule in CLIPS is defined using the 'defrule' construct. It consists of a rule name, an optional comment, a list of pattern conditions, and a list of actions to be taken when the conditions are met.

What are the different types of pattern matching in CLIPS?

There are two types of pattern matching in CLIPS: exact and partial. Exact pattern matching requires that all fields in a pattern match a fact exactly, while partial pattern matching allows for some fields to be unspecified.

Describe the difference between a deffunction and a defgeneric function in CLIPS.

A deffunction is a user-defined function that performs a specific task, while a defgeneric function is a collection of methods that perform similar tasks but may have different parameters.

How would you use a deftemplate in CLIPS?

A deftemplate in CLIPS is used to define a structure for facts. It specifies the names and types of the fields in the fact. Once a deftemplate is defined, it can be used to create facts of that structure.

What are the different types of data in CLIPS?

CLIPS supports several types of data, including symbols, strings, numbers (both integers and floats), facts, instances, and external-addresses.

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

What does this simple CLIPS code do?
(defrule hello-world
  =>
  (printout t "Hello, World!" crlf))
This code defines a rule named 'hello-world' that, when activated, prints out the string 'Hello, World!' to the terminal.
What will be the output of this CLIPS code?
(defrule greater-than-ten
  ?f <- (test (> ?number 10))
  =>
  (printout t ?number " is greater than 10." crlf))
This code will output a statement saying that the value of '?number' is greater than 10, but only if '?number' is indeed greater than 10.
What does this CLIPS code do?
(defrule manipulate-array
  ?f <- (test (eq (length$ ?array) 5))
  =>
  (modify ?f (array (delete$ ?array 1))))
This code defines a rule that checks if the length of an array '?array' is 5. If it is, it deletes the first element of the array.
What does this CLIPS code do?
(defrule threading
  ?f <- (test (eq (length$ ?array) 5))
  =>
  (start-thread (modify ?f (array (delete$ ?array 1)))))
This code defines a rule that checks if the length of an array '?array' is 5. If it is, it starts a new thread that deletes the first element of the array.

Wrap-up questions

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

Describe the difference between a global variable and a local variable in CLIPS.

A global variable in CLIPS is defined using the 'defglobal' construct and can be accessed from anywhere in the program. A local variable, on the other hand, is defined within a function or a rule and can only be accessed within that function or rule.

How would you handle errors in CLIPS?

Errors in CLIPS can be handled using the 'catch' and 'throw' constructs. The 'catch' construct catches an error and prevents it from terminating the program, while the 'throw' construct allows you to generate an error.

What are the different types of control structures in CLIPS?

CLIPS supports several control structures, including conditional constructs like 'if', 'switch', and 'cond', and loop constructs like 'loop-for-count' and 'do-for-instance'.

CLIPS application related

Product Perfect's CLIPS development capabilities

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

CLIPS Consultive assessments

CLIPS Application Conversion Assessment CLIPS Application Integration Assessment CLIPS Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom CLIPS development projects

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

Hiring guide for CLIPS Engineers

CLIPS Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

CLIPS Consultive assessments

Custom CLIPS development projects