Hiring guide for Liberty BASIC Engineers

Liberty BASIC Developer Hiring Guide

Liberty BASIC is a proprietary computer programming language developed by Shoptalk Systems. It was first released in 1992, designed to provide beginners with a simple and intuitive platform for learning the basics of coding (Shoptalk Systems). The software offers an integrated development environment and supports various features such as graphics, sound, and keyboard input. Over the years, Liberty BASIC has gained popularity due to its simplicity and user-friendly interface that allows users to create Windows programs easily (ComputerHope.com). Despite being less powerful than other languages like C++ or Java, it remains a valuable tool for teaching fundamental programming concepts (ZDNet).

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

First 20 minutes

General Liberty BASIC app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in Liberty BASIC 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 Liberty BASIC?
You can declare a variable in Liberty BASIC by simply using it in your code. For example, 'a = 5' declares a variable 'a' and assigns the value '5' to it.
What are the types of loops available in Liberty BASIC?
Liberty BASIC supports 'for' loops, 'while' loops, and 'do' loops.
How would you create an array in Liberty BASIC and assign values to it?
You can create an array in Liberty BASIC using the 'DIM' statement. For example, 'DIM arrayName(5)' creates an array with 6 elements. You can assign values to it like this: 'arrayName(0) = "first value"'.
What is the purpose of the 'PRINT' statement in Liberty BASIC?
The 'PRINT' statement in Liberty BASIC is used to output data to the console. For instance, 'PRINT "Hello, World!"' would output the text 'Hello, World!' to the console.
How would you handle errors in Liberty BASIC?
In Liberty BASIC, you can use 'ONERROR GOTO' statement to handle errors. This statement redirects the program to a specific label when an error occurs.
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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of Liberty BASIC language?
Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?
Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?
Does the candidate have experience with other programming languages?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Liberty BASIC 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.

What are the different data types supported by Liberty BASIC?
Liberty BASIC supports several data types including integer, float, string, and array.
How would you create a subroutine in Liberty BASIC?
In Liberty BASIC, you can create a subroutine using the 'SUB' and 'END SUB' statements. For example, 'SUB mySubroutine' begins the definition of a subroutine named 'mySubroutine'. 'END SUB' ends the definition.
Describe the difference between 'IF' and 'SELECT CASE' statements in Liberty BASIC.
'IF' statement is used to perform a test and execute some code based on the result of the test. 'SELECT CASE' statement is used to perform different actions based on the value of a variable or expression. It's more efficient than using multiple 'IF' statements when you have many conditions to check.
How would you read and write files in Liberty BASIC?
You can use 'OPEN' statement to open a file, 'PRINT #' to write to a file, and 'INPUT #' to read from a file in Liberty BASIC.
What is the purpose of the 'GOSUB' statement in Liberty BASIC?
The 'GOSUB' statement in Liberty BASIC is used to call a subroutine. The program execution will return to the line immediately following the 'GOSUB' statement after the subroutine has finished executing.
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The ideal back-end app developer

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

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

What does this simple Liberty BASIC code do?
print "Hello, World!"
This code prints the string 'Hello, World!' to the console.
What will be the output of this Liberty BASIC code?
dim array(5)
for i = 1 to 5
array(i) = i * 2
next i
print array(3)
This code initializes an array with 5 elements, assigns each element a value that is twice its index, and then prints the value of the third element. The output will be '6'.
What does this Liberty BASIC code do?
dim array(5)
for i = 1 to 5
array(i) = i * 2
next i
sort array()
print array(1)
This code initializes an array with 5 elements, assigns each element a value that is twice its index, sorts the array in ascending order, and then prints the value of the first element. The output will be '2'.
What will be the output of this Liberty BASIC code?
nomainwin
WindowWidth = 400
WindowHeight = 300
open "My Window" for window as #win
print #win, "trapclose [quit]"
wait
[quit]
close #win
end
This code creates a window with the title 'My Window', sets its width to 400 and height to 300, and waits for the user to close the window. When the window is closed, the program ends.

Wrap-up questions

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

How would you create a graphical user interface in Liberty BASIC?
You can create a graphical user interface in Liberty BASIC using the 'WINDOW' statement to create a window and various commands like 'BUTTON', 'CHECKBOX', 'RADIOBUTTON', etc., to create controls.
What are the different types of variables in Liberty BASIC and how are they declared?
Liberty BASIC has local and global variables. Local variables are declared within subroutines and are not accessible outside of them. Global variables are declared outside of all subroutines and are accessible throughout the entire program.
Describe the difference between 'GOTO' and 'GOSUB' statements in Liberty BASIC.
'GOTO' statement is used to jump to a specific line or label in the program. 'GOSUB' statement is used to call a subroutine. The main difference is that 'GOSUB' remembers the location in the program where it was called, so it can return to that location with the 'RETURN' statement.

Liberty BASIC application related

Product Perfect's Liberty BASIC development capabilities

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

Liberty BASIC Consultive assessments

Custom Liberty BASIC development projects

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