Hiring guide for Gosu Engineers

Gosu Developer Hiring Guide

Gosu is a statically-typed, general-purpose programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It was created by Guidewire Software, and its development started in 2002 for the purpose of creating insurance applications. Gosu is a statically-typed language, which means that it checks the type of variables and expressions at compile-time. It features advanced type inference, which allows developers to write less verbose code. Gosu supports both object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. It also has a unique feature called Open Type System, which allows developers to define their own types. Furthermore, Gosu can be used as a scripting language as it can execute scripts directly from the command line without any additional compilation steps.

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

First 20 minutes

General Gosu app knowledge and experience

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

How would you declare a variable in Gosu?
In Gosu, you declare a variable using the 'var' keyword followed by the variable name and its type. For example, 'var myVariable : String = "Hello";' declares a string variable named myVariable and assigns it the value 'Hello'.
What is the purpose of the 'uses' keyword in Gosu?
The 'uses' keyword in Gosu is used to import classes or entire packages. For example, 'uses java.util.List;' imports the List class from the java.util package.
Describe the difference between a list and an array in Gosu.
In Gosu, an array is a fixed-size data structure that holds elements of the same type, while a list is a dynamic data structure that can grow or shrink in size and can hold elements of different types.
How would you define a method in Gosu?
In Gosu, a method is defined using the 'function' keyword followed by the method name, parameter list, return type, and method body. For example, 'function add(a: int, b: int) : int { return a + b; }' defines a method named add that takes two integers as parameters and returns their sum.
What are the key features of Gosu programming language?
Key features of Gosu include static typing, closures, enhancements, type inference, and Gosu classes, which can be used as Java classes without needing to compile.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate demonstrate a strong understanding of Gosu language?
Has the candidate worked on projects using Gosu?
Is the candidate able to solve problems and debug in Gosu?
Can the candidate write clean, efficient, and maintainable Gosu code?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Gosu 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 Gosu?
In Gosu, exceptions are handled using a try-catch-finally block, similar to Java. 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, whether an exception is thrown or not.
What is the purpose of the 'enhancement' feature in Gosu?
Enhancements in Gosu allow you to add new methods or properties to existing classes without modifying the original class. It is a way to extend the functionality of a class in a clean and modular way.
Describe the difference between '=='' and '===' operators in Gosu.
In Gosu, '==' is used for value comparison, it checks if the values of two operands are equal or not. On the other hand, '===' is used for identity comparison, it checks if two references point to the same object or not.
What are the benefits of using Gosu over other JVM languages like Java or Groovy?
Benefits of Gosu over other JVM languages include its simplicity, full support for generics, enhancements feature, and open type system that allows for defining new types at runtime.
How would you make a class immutable in Gosu?
In Gosu, a class can be made immutable by declaring all its properties as 'readonly'. This ensures that once an object of the class is created, its state cannot be changed.
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The ideal back-end app developer

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

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

What does the following Gosu code do?
var x = 10
if (x > 5) {
  print("x is greater than 5")
} else {
  print("x is less than or equal to 5")
}
This code declares a variable 'x' and assigns it a value of 10. It then checks if 'x' is greater than 5. If 'x' is greater than 5, it prints 'x is greater than 5'. If 'x' is not greater than 5, it prints 'x is less than or equal to 5'.
What will be the output of the following Gosu code?
var list = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
list.each(
  index, item -> print("Index: " + index + ", Item: " + item)
)
This code declares a list of integers. It then iterates over each item in the list, printing the index and the item at that index. The output will be 'Index: 0, Item: 1', 'Index: 1, Item: 2', 'Index: 2, Item: 3', 'Index: 3, Item: 4', 'Index: 4, Item: 5'.
What does the following Gosu code do?
uses java.util.concurrent.Executors
var executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(2)
executor.execute(
  () -> print("Hello from thread"))
executor.shutdown()
This code creates a fixed thread pool with two threads using the Executors utility class from the java.util.concurrent package. It then executes a task in one of the threads, which prints 'Hello from thread'. Finally, it shuts down the executor, stopping it from accepting any more tasks.
What will be the output of the following Gosu code?
class MyClass {
  var myVar = "Hello"
}
var obj = new MyClass()
print(obj.myVar)
This code defines a class 'MyClass' with a variable 'myVar' initialized with the string 'Hello'. It then creates an instance of 'MyClass' and prints the value of 'myVar'. The output will be 'Hello'.

Wrap-up questions

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

Describe the difference between a class and an interface in Gosu.
In Gosu, a class is a blueprint for creating objects and can have fields and methods, while an interface is a contract for what a class should do. A class implements an interface to inherit the abstract methods.
What is the purpose of the 'delegate' keyword in Gosu?
The 'delegate' keyword in Gosu is used to delegate the implementation of an interface to a property of the class. This allows the class to appear to implement the interface directly, while actually forwarding method calls to the property.
How would you create a custom type loader in Gosu?
To create a custom type loader in Gosu, you would need to implement the ITypeLoader interface and register the type loader with the TypeSystem. This allows you to define new types at runtime and handle their loading and compiling.

Gosu application related

Product Perfect's Gosu development capabilities

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