Product Perfect

Easytrieve Plus is a high-level programming language that is used for data processing and reporting. It is primarily used in mainframe environments and allows programmers to access and manipulate data in databases or sequential files. Easytrieve Plus simplifies the process of creating reports, file maintenance, and batch applications by providing English-like commands and syntax. This makes it easier for non-programmers or those with limited programming experience to generate reports or perform data manipulation tasks. The language also supports conditional logic, looping, arithmetic operations, and other standard programming constructs.

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

First 20 minutes

General Easytrieve Plus app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define a file in Easytrieve Plus?

In Easytrieve Plus, a file is defined using the FILE statement. For example, FILE EMPLOYEE FB(80 960). Here, EMPLOYEE is the file name, FB is the file organization (Fixed Block), 80 is the record length and 960 is the block size.

What are the three divisions in an Easytrieve program?

The three divisions in an Easytrieve program are the JOB INPUT, JOB PROCESS and JOB OUTPUT.

Describe the difference between STOP and ABEND statements in Easytrieve.

The STOP statement is used to terminate the program normally, while the ABEND statement is used to terminate the program abnormally.

How would you use the SORT statement in Easytrieve Plus?

The SORT statement in Easytrieve Plus is used to sort records in a file. For example, SORT EMPLOYEE BY EMP_ID. Here, EMPLOYEE is the file name and EMP_ID is the field by which the records are sorted.

What are the different types of variables in Easytrieve Plus?

The different types of variables in Easytrieve Plus are Numeric, Alphanumeric, Packed, and Binary.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate demonstrate a deep understanding of Easytrieve Plus?

Has the candidate worked on significant projects involving Easytrieve Plus?

Can the candidate troubleshoot and debug in Easytrieve Plus?

Is the candidate familiar with other programming languages?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Easytrieve Plus 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 working storage section and a file section in Easytrieve Plus.

The working storage section is used to define variables that are used in the program but not in the file, while the file section is used to define the fields in the file.

How would you use the IF statement in Easytrieve Plus?

The IF statement in Easytrieve Plus is used for conditional processing. For example, IF EMP_SALARY > 50000 THEN PRINT EMP_NAME. Here, if the employee's salary is greater than 50000, then the employee's name is printed.

What are the different types of report formats in Easytrieve Plus?

The different types of report formats in Easytrieve Plus are Detail, Summary, and Control Break.

Describe the difference between the SUM and TOTAL statements in Easytrieve Plus.

The SUM statement is used to add the values of a field for all records, while the TOTAL statement is used to add the values of a field for a group of records.

How would you use the MOVE statement in Easytrieve Plus?

The MOVE statement in Easytrieve Plus is used to move data from one field to another. For example, MOVE EMP_NAME TO PRINT_NAME. Here, the value of EMP_NAME is moved to PRINT_NAME.

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

What does this Easytrieve Plus code do?
FILE EMPLOYEE
JOB INPUT EMPLOYEE
IF DEPARTMENT = 'HR'
PRINT EMPLOYEE
END-IF
This code reads from a file named EMPLOYEE, then checks each record. If the 'DEPARTMENT' field of a record equals 'HR', it prints the entire record.
What is the output of this Easytrieve Plus code?
DEFINE VARIABLE TEMP 1 10 A
MOVE 'TEST' TO TEMP
PRINT TEMP
This code will output 'TEST'. It defines a variable TEMP of length 10 and type alpha, assigns the value 'TEST' to TEMP, and then prints TEMP.
What does this Easytrieve Plus code do?
DEFINE ARRAY TEMP[10] 1 10 A
MOVE 'TEST' TO TEMP[1]
PRINT TEMP[1]
This code defines an array TEMP of size 10 with each element of length 10 and type alpha. It then assigns the value 'TEST' to the first element of the array and prints the first element.
What is the output of this Easytrieve Plus code?
DEFINE JOB NAME 'MYJOB' PRIORITY 10
PRINT JOB NAME
This code will output 'MYJOB'. It defines a job with name 'MYJOB' and priority 10, then prints the job name.

Wrap-up questions

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

What are the different types of file organizations supported by Easytrieve Plus?

Easytrieve Plus supports different types of file organizations such as Sequential, Indexed, and Relative.

Describe the difference between the READ and GET statements in Easytrieve Plus.

The READ statement is used to read records from a file sequentially, while the GET statement is used to read records from a file randomly.

How would you use the PERFORM statement in Easytrieve Plus?

The PERFORM statement in Easytrieve Plus is used to call a procedure. For example, PERFORM PROC_NAME. Here, PROC_NAME is the name of the procedure that is being called.

Easytrieve Plus application related

Product Perfect's Easytrieve Plus development capabilities

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

Easytrieve Plus Consultive assessments

Easytrieve Plus Application Conversion Assessment Easytrieve Plus Application Integration Assessment Easytrieve Plus Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom Easytrieve Plus development projects

Custom Easytrieve Plus App Conversion Easytrieve Plus Custom App Development Process App UI Design for Easytrieve Plus Facelifts

Hiring guide for Easytrieve Plus Engineers

Easytrieve Plus Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

Easytrieve Plus Consultive assessments

Custom Easytrieve Plus development projects