Hiring guide for DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) Engineers

DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) Developer Hiring Guide

DASL, short for Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language, is a high-level programming language developed by the Datapoint Corporation. It was specifically designed to operate on their line of business-oriented programmable terminals and computers. DASL is an interpreted language that allows developers to write applications in a more efficient manner compared to assembly languages or machine code. The main advantage of using DASL lies in its simplicity and ease-of-use; it provides straightforward syntax which makes it easier for programmers to read and write code. Despite being simple, DASL offers powerful features such as structured programming constructs, error handling capabilities, file management operations among others. One unique feature about this language is that it can run directly from source code without requiring any compilation process beforehand. This means programmers can make changes to the program while it's running and see the effects immediately - making debugging much simpler. However, since DASL was created by Datapoint Corporation specifically for their own hardware products during 1970s-1980s era; its usage has been largely limited within those systems only and didn't gain widespread popularity like other contemporary languages such as C or Pascal.

Ask the right questions secure the right DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) app knowledge and experience

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

What are the basic data types in DASL?
The basic data types in DASL include integer, real, boolean, character, and string.
How would you declare a variable in DASL?
In DASL, a variable can be declared using the 'var' keyword followed by the variable name and its type. For example, 'var x integer;' declares an integer variable named x.
Describe the difference between a procedure and a function in DASL.
In DASL, a procedure is a block of code that performs a specific task but does not return a value. On the other hand, a function is similar to a procedure but it returns a value.
How would you implement a loop structure in DASL?
A loop structure in DASL can be implemented using the 'for' or 'while' keywords. For example, 'for i = 1 to 10 do {...}' or 'while condition do {...}'.
What are the control structures available in DASL?
DASL provides several control structures including 'if', 'else', 'for', 'while', and 'case'.
The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of DASL?
Can the candidate demonstrate experience with similar languages or systems?
How well does the candidate understand data structures and algorithms?
Is the candidate able to solve complex problems?

Next 20 minutes

Specific DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) 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 handle exceptions in DASL?
Exceptions in DASL can be handled using the 'try', 'catch', and 'finally' keywords. The 'try' block contains the code that may throw an exception, the 'catch' block handles the exception, and the 'finally' block contains code that is always executed regardless of whether an exception occurred or not.
Describe the difference between local and global variables in DASL.
In DASL, a local variable is declared within a procedure or function and is only accessible within that procedure or function. A global variable is declared outside all procedures and functions and can be accessed by any part of the program.
How would you create a user-defined function in DASL?
A user-defined function in DASL can be created using the 'function' keyword followed by the function name, parameters, and return type. The function body is enclosed in 'begin' and 'end' keywords.
What are the string manipulation functions available in DASL?
DASL provides several string manipulation functions including 'length', 'substring', 'concat', 'compare', 'find', and 'replace'.
How would you implement recursion in DASL?
Recursion in DASL can be implemented by creating a function that calls itself within its body. The function must have a base case to prevent infinite recursion.
The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) 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 DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language).

What does this simple DASL code do?
BEGIN
  PRINT 'Hello, DASL!'
END
This code prints the string 'Hello, DASL!' to the standard output.
What will be the output of this DASL code?
BEGIN
  INTEGER i, j;
  i = 5;
  j = i + 3;
  PRINT j;
END
This code will print the number 8 to the standard output. It declares two integer variables i and j, assigns 5 to i, then adds 3 to i and assigns the result to j, and finally prints j.
What does this DASL code do with an array?
BEGIN
  INTEGER ARRAY a[5];
  FOR i = 0 TO 4 DO
    a[i] = i * i;
  END
  PRINT a;
END
This code initializes an integer array of size 5, then populates it with the squares of the indices, and finally prints the array.
What does this DASL code do related to threading?
BEGIN
  THREAD t = NEW THREAD(
    BEGIN
      PRINT 'Hello, thread!';
    END
  );
  t.START();
END
This code creates a new thread that prints 'Hello, thread!' when started, and then starts the thread.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) 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 DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

Describe the difference between pass by value and pass by reference in DASL.
In DASL, pass by value means that a copy of the variable is passed to the function, so changes made to the variable within the function do not affect the original variable. Pass by reference means that a reference to the variable is passed to the function, so changes made to the variable within the function do affect the original variable.
How would you create a multi-dimensional array in DASL?
A multi-dimensional array in DASL can be created by specifying multiple dimensions in the array declaration. For example, 'var arr integer[10][10];' declares a two-dimensional integer array.
What are the file handling functions available in DASL?
DASL provides several file handling functions including 'open', 'close', 'read', 'write', 'seek', and 'eof'.

DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) application related

Product Perfect's DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) Consultive assessments

Custom DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language) development projects

Hiring guides

Hiring guides at a higher level of coverage

Zooming out above a specific programming language, these other hiring guides may be helpful.

Back-end App Developer

Front-end Web Developer

Full Stack Developer (Java)

Full Stack Developer (.Net)

Full Stack Developer (MEAN)

Full Stack Developer (MERN)

DevOps Engineer

Database Engineer (AzureSQL)

Database Engineer (Oracle)

Database Engineer (General)

Solution Architect (.NET)

Solution Architect (Java)

Solution Architect (Ruby)

Solution Architect (Python)

AI Engineer (Python)

Sr. AI Engineer (Python)

AI Strategist (Python)

Business Intelligence Engineer

Systems Analyst

Mainframe Developer (COBOL)

Mainframe Developer (General)