Hiring guide for OpenEdge Advanced Business Language Engineers

OpenEdge Advanced Business Language Developer Hiring Guide

OpenEdge Advanced Business Language (ABL) is a high-level programming language developed by Progress Software Corporation in the early 1980s. It was initially designed for database management and business applications, providing a robust platform for building enterprise-level solutions. ABL is renowned for its integrated SQL engine that allows seamless interaction with relational databases. Over the years, it has evolved to support object-oriented programming and web development capabilities. Its enduring relevance can be attributed to its flexibility, scalability, and ease of use in complex business environments (source: Progress Software Corporation).

Ask the right questions secure the right OpenEdge Advanced Business Language talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General OpenEdge Advanced Business Language app knowledge and experience

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

How would you describe the basic structure of an ABL program?
An ABL program typically starts with a PROGRAM statement, followed by variable definitions, then procedure and function definitions, and finally the main block of code. It may also include other elements such as preprocessor directives, class and interface definitions, and trigger blocks.
What are the key differences between static and dynamic temp-tables in OpenEdge ABL?
Static temp-tables are defined at compile-time and have a fixed structure, while dynamic temp-tables are defined at runtime and can have their structure changed dynamically.
How would you handle error handling in OpenEdge ABL?
Error handling in OpenEdge ABL is typically done using the UNDO, THROW, and CATCH statements. UNDO rolls back any changes made in the current transaction block, THROW raises an error, and CATCH catches any errors thrown in its block.
Describe the difference between a procedure and a function in OpenEdge ABL.
A procedure is a block of code that performs a specific task and does not return a value, while a function is a block of code that performs a specific task and returns a value.
What are some ways to improve performance in OpenEdge ABL?
Performance in OpenEdge ABL can be improved by optimizing database queries, using indexes effectively, minimizing network traffic, and using the language's built-in performance tools such as the Profiler and Debugger.
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 have a strong understanding of OpenEdge Advanced Business Language (ABL)?
Have they demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?
How well does the candidate understand the principles of database management?
Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Next 20 minutes

Specific OpenEdge Advanced Business Language 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 implement object-oriented programming in OpenEdge ABL?
Object-oriented programming in OpenEdge ABL is implemented using classes and interfaces. A class is a blueprint for creating objects, and an interface is a contract that classes can implement.
Describe the difference between the FIND and GET statements in OpenEdge ABL.
The FIND statement retrieves a single record from a database table based on a specified condition, while the GET statement retrieves a record from a table based on its rowid.
What are some common uses of the FOR EACH statement in OpenEdge ABL?
The FOR EACH statement in OpenEdge ABL is commonly used to iterate over a set of records in a database table, perform calculations on each record, and generate reports.
How would you use the BUFFER-COPY statement in OpenEdge ABL?
The BUFFER-COPY statement in OpenEdge ABL is used to copy the contents of one buffer to another. This is useful for duplicating records or transferring data between tables.
Describe the difference between the FRAME and FORM statements in OpenEdge ABL.
The FRAME statement is used to define a layout for displaying data in a terminal or GUI, while the FORM statement is used to define a layout for printing data.
The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the OpenEdge Advanced Business Language engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled OpenEdge Advanced Business Language engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in OpenEdge Advanced Business Language 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 OpenEdge Advanced Business Language.

What does the following simple OpenEdge ABL code do?
DEFINE VARIABLE myNumber AS INTEGER NO-UNDO.
myNumber = 5.
DISPLAY myNumber.
This code defines an integer variable named 'myNumber', assigns the value 5 to it, and then displays that value.
What will be the output of the following OpenEdge ABL code?
DEFINE VARIABLE x AS INTEGER NO-UNDO.
DEFINE VARIABLE y AS INTEGER NO-UNDO.
x = 10.
y = 20.
DISPLAY x + y.
This code will output 30. It defines two integer variables 'x' and 'y', assigns them the values 10 and 20 respectively, and then displays the sum of these two variables.
What does the following OpenEdge ABL code do?
DEFINE TEMP-TABLE tt NO-UNDO
  FIELD id AS INTEGER
  FIELD name AS CHARACTER.
CREATE tt.
tt.id = 1.
tt.name = 'John'.
DISPLAY tt.
This code defines a temporary table 'tt' with two fields, 'id' and 'name'. It then creates a new record in 'tt', assigns values to the fields and then displays the contents of the table.
What does the following OpenEdge ABL code do?
DEFINE VARIABLE hProc AS HANDLE NO-UNDO.
RUN myProcedure IN hProc PERSISTENT SET hProc.
This code creates a new persistent procedure instance of 'myProcedure' and assigns a handle to it to the 'hProc' variable.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for OpenEdge Advanced Business Language 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 OpenEdge Advanced Business Language application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are some advanced features of OpenEdge ABL that you have used in your projects?
Some advanced features of OpenEdge ABL that I have used in my projects include object-oriented programming, web services, XML and JSON handling, and database replication.
How would you design a complex business application in OpenEdge ABL?
Designing a complex business application in OpenEdge ABL involves defining the data model, designing the user interface, implementing business logic in procedures and functions, and setting up error handling and security measures.
Describe the difference between the REPEAT and DO statements in OpenEdge ABL.
The REPEAT statement is used to create a loop that executes until a condition is met, while the DO statement is used to create a loop that executes a specified number of times.

OpenEdge Advanced Business Language application related

Product Perfect's OpenEdge Advanced Business Language development capabilities

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

OpenEdge Advanced Business Language Consultive assessments

Custom OpenEdge Advanced Business Language development projects

Hiring guides

Hiring guides at a higher level of coverage

Zooming out above a specific programming language, these other hiring guides may be helpful.

Back-end App Developer

Front-end Web Developer

Full Stack Developer (Java)

Full Stack Developer (.Net)

Full Stack Developer (MEAN)

Full Stack Developer (MERN)

DevOps Engineer

Database Engineer (AzureSQL)

Database Engineer (Oracle)

Database Engineer (General)

Solution Architect (.NET)

Solution Architect (Java)

Solution Architect (Ruby)

Solution Architect (Python)

AI Engineer (Python)

Sr. AI Engineer (Python)

AI Strategist (Python)

Business Intelligence Engineer

Systems Analyst

Mainframe Developer (COBOL)

Mainframe Developer (General)