Hiring guide for Elm++ Engineers

Elm++ Developer Hiring Guide

Elm++, an evocative and intellectually engaging programming language, is an advanced offshoot of the original Elm language. As a functional programming language, it embodies a unique philosophical perspective on the nature of computing, enabling developers to create highly reliable and maintainable software applications. The foundations of Elm++ are deeply rooted in the historical evolution of functional programming. The original Elm, from which Elm++ has been developed, was first introduced in 2012 by Evan Czaplicki as his thesis at Harvard University. It was envisioned as a delightful language for reliable web apps with zero runtime exceptions. Elm++ carries forward this legacy but with enhanced capabilities. Elm++ is steeped in the tradition of statically typed functional languages such as Haskell and OCaml. Yet it breaks new ground by providing a richer set of features that extend beyond its predecessors without sacrificing their elegance and power. It embraces the strengths of

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

First 20 minutes

General Elm++ app knowledge and experience

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

How would you describe Elm++ in your own words?
Elm++ is a functional programming language that compiles to JavaScript. It's designed for creating web applications, with a strong emphasis on simplicity, ease of use, and quality tooling.
What are the key features of Elm++?
Some key features of Elm++ include its strong static typing, immutable values, pure functions, and a built-in architecture for managing state and effects.
Describe the difference between Elm++ and JavaScript.
Elm++ is a statically typed, functional programming language, while JavaScript is a dynamically typed, multi-paradigm language. Elm++ compiles to JavaScript and provides guarantees about the absence of runtime exceptions, which JavaScript does not.
How would you handle side effects in Elm++?
In Elm++, side effects are handled through commands. Commands represent effects like HTTP requests or random number generation that are performed outside of the Elm++ program.
What are the benefits of Elm++'s static type system?
Elm++'s static type system helps catch errors at compile time rather than runtime, provides tooling support for things like auto-completion and refactoring, and serves as documentation that helps developers understand the code.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of Elm++ and its syntax?
Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?
Is the candidate familiar with version control systems, such as Git?
Can the candidate communicate effectively about complex technical concepts?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Elm++ 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 command and a subscription in Elm++.
A command in Elm++ is a way to ask the runtime to perform some effect, like making an HTTP request. A subscription, on the other hand, is a way to ask the runtime to send messages in response to external events, like WebSocket messages or time passing.
How would you structure a large Elm++ application?
A large Elm++ application would typically be structured using the Model-View-Update (MVU) architecture, with separate modules for different parts of the application. The application's state would be represented by a single model, which is updated by a function that responds to messages triggered by user actions or other events.
What are the benefits of Elm++'s immutability?
Immutability in Elm++ helps avoid bugs caused by unexpected state changes, makes the code easier to reason about, and enables performance optimizations like memoization.
Describe the difference between a record and a tuple in Elm++.
A record in Elm++ is a collection of named fields, while a tuple is an ordered collection of values. Records are useful for representing structured data with named fields, while tuples are useful for grouping a fixed number of values together.
How would you handle errors in Elm++?
In Elm++, errors are typically handled by returning a result type from a function, which can represent either a successful value or an error. This forces the caller to handle both cases explicitly.
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The ideal back-end app developer

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

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

What does this simple Elm code do?
import Html exposing (text)
main =
text "Hello, World!"
This is a very basic Elm program that displays the text 'Hello, World!' on the screen. The 'import Html exposing (text)' statement allows us to use the 'text' function from the 'Html' module. The 'main' function is the entry point of the program and it uses the 'text' function to create an HTML text node that contains the string 'Hello, World!'.
What does this Elm code do?
import List exposing (length)

main =
    let
        myList = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    in
    length myList
This Elm code calculates the length of the list 'myList'. The 'import List exposing (length)' statement allows us to use the 'length' function from the 'List' module. The 'main' function defines a list 'myList' and then uses the 'length' function to calculate the length of the list.
What does this Elm code do?
import List exposing (map)

main =
    let
        myList = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    in
    map ((*) 2) myList
This Elm code applies the function '((*2))' to each element of the list 'myList'. The 'import List exposing (map)' statement allows us to use the 'map' function from the 'List' module. The 'main' function defines a list 'myList' and then uses the 'map' function to apply the function '((*2))' to each element of the list, resulting in a new list with each element multiplied by 2.
What does this Elm code do?
type alias User =
    { name : String
    , age : Int
    }

main =
    let
        user = User "John" 25
    in
    user.name
This Elm code defines a type alias 'User' for a record with two fields 'name' and 'age', and then creates an instance of 'User'. The 'main' function defines a 'User' record 'user' and then accesses the 'name' field of the record.

Wrap-up questions

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

What are the benefits of Elm++'s pure functions?
Pure functions in Elm++ have no side effects and always return the same output for the same input. This makes the code easier to reason about, easier to test, and enables performance optimizations.
Describe the difference between Elm++'s let expressions and case expressions.
A let expression in Elm++ allows you to define local variables, while a case expression allows you to do pattern matching on values. Let expressions are useful for breaking down complex expressions, while case expressions are useful for handling different cases in a structured way.
How would you optimize an Elm++ application for performance?
Performance optimization in Elm++ could involve using memoization to avoid unnecessary computations, optimizing the view function to minimize DOM updates, and structuring the model and update function to minimize unnecessary state changes.

Elm++ application related

Product Perfect's Elm++ development capabilities

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