Product Perfect

Obol is a historical computer programming language developed in the mid-20th century. It was created by the RAND Corporation, a prominent think tank in the United States, for system programming and data processing tasks. Notably, Obol was used in the JOSS project, one of the earliest time-sharing systems. The language is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency, designed to facilitate easy coding and debugging. References to Obol can be found in early computing literature such as "A Third Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems" (1961) by Martin H. Weik.

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

First 20 minutes

General Obol app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define Obol as a programming language?

Obol is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that is designed to be easy to read and write. It's known for its simplicity and flexibility, allowing developers to write efficient and effective code.

What are the key features of Obol?

Some key features of Obol include its high-level nature, its flexibility, its readability, and its efficiency. It's designed to be easy to learn and use, and it's highly versatile, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Describe the difference between Obol and other high-level programming languages.

Obol is designed to be simpler and more flexible than many other high-level languages. It's highly readable, making it easier for developers to understand and modify their code. Additionally, Obol is known for its efficiency, allowing developers to write code that runs quickly and effectively.

How would you handle errors in Obol?

In Obol, errors can be handled using the built-in error handling mechanisms. These allow developers to catch and handle errors in a controlled manner, preventing the program from crashing and allowing for more graceful recovery.

What are the data types supported by Obol?

Obol supports a variety of data types, including integers, floating-point numbers, strings, and booleans. It also supports complex data types like arrays and objects.

The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate demonstrate a strong understanding of Obol language?

Has the candidate shown experience in working on projects using Obol?

Is the candidate able to solve complex problems using Obol?

Does the candidate show good communication skills?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Obol 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 function and a procedure in Obol.

In Obol, a function is a block of code that performs a specific task and returns a value, while a procedure is a block of code that performs a specific task but does not return a value.

How would you implement recursion in Obol?

Recursion in Obol can be implemented by having a function call itself within its own definition. This allows for complex, iterative tasks to be performed in a concise and efficient manner.

What are the control structures available in Obol?

Obol supports a variety of control structures, including conditional statements (like if and else), loop structures (like for and while), and selection structures (like switch and case).

How would you optimize code in Obol?

Code in Obol can be optimized in several ways, such as by reducing redundancy, using efficient data structures and algorithms, and taking advantage of the language's built-in optimization features.

Describe the difference between local and global variables in Obol.

In Obol, local variables are those that are declared within a function and are only accessible within that function, while global variables are declared outside of any function and are accessible throughout the entire program.

The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

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

What does this simple Obol code do?
let x = 5 in x + 10
This code declares a variable 'x' with a value of 5, and then adds 10 to it. The result would be 15.
What is the output of this Obol code?
let x = 5 in let y = 10 in x + y
This code declares two variables 'x' and 'y' with values 5 and 10 respectively, and then adds them together. The result would be 15.
What does this Obol code do with arrays?
let arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] in List.map (fun x -> x * 2) arr
This code declares an array 'arr' with five elements. It then applies a function to each element of the array that multiplies the element by 2. The result would be a new array with the elements [2, 4, 6, 8, 10].
What does this Obol code do related to threading?
let x = ref 0 in spawn(fun () -> x := !x + 1); !x
This code declares a reference 'x' with a value of 0, then spawns a new thread that increments the value of 'x'. The final expression '!x' gets the current value of 'x'. However, due to the nature of threading, the final value of 'x' could be either 0 or 1, depending on whether the spawned thread has had a chance to execute before the value of 'x' is retrieved.

Wrap-up questions

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

How would you handle memory management in Obol?

Obol handles memory management automatically, so developers don't need to manually allocate and deallocate memory. However, it's still important to write efficient code to ensure that memory is used effectively.

What are the concurrency mechanisms in Obol?

Obol supports concurrency through the use of threads. This allows for multiple tasks to be performed simultaneously, improving the efficiency and responsiveness of applications.

Describe the difference between synchronous and asynchronous programming in Obol.

In Obol, synchronous programming means that operations are performed one after another, while asynchronous programming means that operations can be performed concurrently. Asynchronous programming can improve the efficiency and responsiveness of applications, but it can also be more complex to manage.

Obol application related

Product Perfect's Obol development capabilities

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

Obol Consultive assessments

Obol Application Conversion Assessment Obol Application Integration Assessment Obol Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom Obol development projects

Custom Obol App Conversion Obol Custom App Development Process App UI Design for Obol Facelifts

Hiring guide for Obol Engineers

Obol Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

Obol Consultive assessments

Custom Obol development projects