Hiring guide for Lasso Engineers

Lasso Developer Hiring Guide

Lasso is a high-level, interpreted scripting language that was initially developed by Kyle Jessup in 1995. It is primarily used for web development, particularly for creating dynamic, data-driven websites. Lasso is known for its speed and efficiency, as well as its seamless integration with SQL databases and HTML. It was one of the first programming languages to integrate directly with a web server (Source: "Lasso Programming" by N. Lewis). Today, Lasso remains a popular choice among developers due to its flexibility and ease of use.

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

First 20 minutes

General Lasso app knowledge and experience

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

How would you install Lasso on a server?
First, you need to download the Lasso installer from the official website. Then, run the installer and follow the instructions. After the installation, you need to configure the server settings according to your requirements.
What are the main features of Lasso?
Lasso has several features such as data-driven web pages, custom tags, inline coding, and support for various databases. It also has a built-in security system and supports multiple programming paradigms.
Describe the difference between Lasso and PHP.
Lasso is a language specifically designed for web development, while PHP is a general-purpose scripting language. Lasso has a more intuitive syntax and is easier to learn for beginners. On the other hand, PHP has a larger community and more resources available.
How would you create a custom tag in Lasso?
To create a custom tag in Lasso, you need to define it using the 'define_tag' function. You can then use this tag in your code by calling it with the 'call_tag' function.
What are the data types supported by Lasso?
Lasso supports several data types including integer, float, string, date, time, boolean, array, and map.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of Lasso and its applications?
Is the candidate able to problem solve and troubleshoot effectively?
Has the candidate demonstrated good communication skills?
Does the candidate have experience with other programming languages?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Lasso 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 'find' and 'findall' in Lasso.
'find' returns the first match for a given condition, while 'findall' returns all matches. 'find' is more efficient if you only need the first match, while 'findall' is necessary when you need to process all matches.
How would you handle errors in Lasso?
Lasso provides several functions for error handling such as 'try', 'catch', and 'finally'. You can use these functions to catch and handle errors in a controlled manner.
What are the advantages of using Lasso over other web development languages?
Lasso has several advantages such as a simple and intuitive syntax, support for various databases, built-in security features, and the ability to create data-driven web pages. It also supports multiple programming paradigms.
Describe the difference between 'map' and 'array' in Lasso.
'map' is a collection of key-value pairs, while 'array' is a collection of values. 'map' is useful when you need to associate values with keys, while 'array' is useful when you only need to store values.
How would you connect to a database in Lasso?
To connect to a database in Lasso, you need to use the 'database' function. You need to provide the database type, host, database name, username, and password as parameters.
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The ideal back-end app developer

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

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

What does the following Lasso code do?
local(x = 'Hello World')
output(x)
This code declares a local variable 'x' and assigns the string 'Hello World' to it. Then it outputs the value of 'x', which is 'Hello World'.
What will be the output of the following Lasso code?
local(x = 10, y = 20)
output(x + y)
This code declares two local variables 'x' and 'y', assigns 10 to 'x' and 20 to 'y', then outputs the sum of 'x' and 'y'. The output will be 30.
What does the following Lasso code do?
local(arr = array(1, 2, 3, 4, 5))
output(arr->size)
This code declares a local variable 'arr' and assigns an array of five elements to it. Then it outputs the size of the array 'arr', which is 5.
What does the following Lasso code do?
thread
{
  loop(10000, 'counter')
  {
    output('counter')
  }
}
This code creates a new thread and runs a loop 10000 times inside it. In each iteration, it outputs the current iteration number. The 'counter' keyword is a built-in variable that holds the current iteration number.

Wrap-up questions

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

What are the security features provided by Lasso?
Lasso provides several security features such as input validation, output encoding, CSRF protection, and SQL injection prevention. It also has a built-in user authentication system.
Describe the difference between 'include' and 'require' in Lasso.
'include' imports a file and continues execution even if the file does not exist, while 'require' stops execution if the file does not exist. 'require' is generally used for important files that the program cannot run without.
How would you optimize a Lasso application for performance?
To optimize a Lasso application for performance, you can use techniques such as caching, database optimization, and code optimization. You can also use profiling tools to identify bottlenecks in your application.

Lasso application related

Product Perfect's Lasso development capabilities

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