Hiring guide for ElixirScript Engineers

ElixirScript Developer Hiring Guide

ElixirScript is a relatively new programming language that was created in 2019 by José Valim, the creator of Elixir. It is a functional programming language that is designed to be used on the web. ElixirScript is based on the Elixir programming language, but it has been extended with features that make it more suitable for web development. These features include support for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as a number of libraries that make it easy to build web applications. Here are some references that you can use: * [ElixirScript Website](https://elixirscript.com/) * [ElixirScript Documentation](https://elixirscript.com/docs/) * [ElixirScript on GitHub](https://github.com/elixirscript/elixirscript)

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

First 20 minutes

General ElixirScript app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define ElixirScript?
ElixirScript is a compiler that converts Elixir code into JavaScript, allowing developers to write in Elixir and run in a JavaScript environment.
What are the main features of ElixirScript?
ElixirScript provides the ability to write Elixir code that runs in the browser, supports most Elixir features, and integrates with existing JavaScript libraries and frameworks.
Describe the difference between Elixir and ElixirScript.
Elixir is a dynamic, functional language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications. ElixirScript, on the other hand, is a compiler that transforms Elixir code into JavaScript.
How would you integrate ElixirScript with a JavaScript framework?
ElixirScript can be integrated with JavaScript frameworks by using JavaScript interoperability features. This allows ElixirScript to call JavaScript functions and vice versa.
What are the benefits of using ElixirScript over JavaScript?
ElixirScript provides the benefits of Elixir, such as a functional programming paradigm, pattern matching, and concurrency model, while still being able to run in a JavaScript environment.
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What you’re looking for early on

Has the candidate demonstrated a deep understanding of ElixirScript?
Can the candidate solve complex problems using ElixirScript?
Does the candidate have a good understanding of functional programming principles?
Is the candidate able to communicate their thought process effectively?

Next 20 minutes

Specific ElixirScript 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 errors in ElixirScript?
ElixirScript uses the same error handling mechanisms as Elixir, which includes using try, catch, and rescue constructs to handle exceptions.
Describe the difference between ElixirScript and Elm.
While both ElixirScript and Elm compile to JavaScript, Elm is a purely functional language with a strong static type system, whereas ElixirScript is a dynamic, functional language based on Elixir.
How would you test ElixirScript code?
ElixirScript code can be tested using the same testing frameworks and methodologies as Elixir, such as ExUnit for unit testing.
What are the limitations of ElixirScript?
ElixirScript does not support all Elixir features, such as certain metaprogramming features and the full OTP library. It also requires a JavaScript runtime environment to execute.
How would you optimize ElixirScript code for performance?
Performance optimization in ElixirScript can be achieved through techniques such as efficient data structures, avoiding unnecessary computations, and leveraging JavaScript's performance characteristics.
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The ideal back-end app developer

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

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

What does this simple ElixirScript code do?
IO.puts "Hello, World!"
This code prints the string 'Hello, World!' to the console.
What will be the output of this ElixirScript code?
defmodule Math do
  def add(a, b), do: a + b
end
IO.puts Math.add(5, 7)
This code defines a module named 'Math' with a function 'add' that takes two parameters and returns their sum. It then calls this function with the arguments 5 and 7 and prints the result to the console. The output will be '12'.
What does this ElixirScript code do?
list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Enum.map(list, fn x -> x * 2 end)
This code declares a list of integers from 1 to 5. It then uses the 'Enum.map' function to create a new list where each element is the double of the corresponding element in the original list. The result will be '[2, 4, 6, 8, 10]'.
What does this ElixirScript code do?
defmodule Worker do
  def start_link do
    Task.start_link(fn -> do_work() end)
  end
  defp do_work do
    # some work here
  end
end
This code defines a module 'Worker' with a public function 'start_link' that starts a new process to do some work. The work is done in the private function 'do_work'. This is a basic example of concurrency in ElixirScript.

Wrap-up questions

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

Describe the difference between ElixirScript and TypeScript.
TypeScript is a statically typed superset of JavaScript that adds optional types, while ElixirScript is a compiler that transforms Elixir code into JavaScript, providing a functional programming paradigm.
How would you handle concurrency in ElixirScript?
ElixirScript does not directly support Elixir's concurrency model due to JavaScript's single-threaded nature. However, it can leverage Web Workers or similar technologies to achieve concurrency.
What are the challenges of using ElixirScript in a large-scale application?
Challenges may include dealing with JavaScript interoperability issues, limitations in ElixirScript's feature support, and the need to manage both Elixir and JavaScript dependencies.

ElixirScript application related

Product Perfect's ElixirScript development capabilities

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