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PicoLisp is a programming language that was developed as a scripting language for general software application development. It is a dialect of Lisp, a high-level, general-purpose programming language, and is known for its simplicity and efficiency. PicoLisp emphasizes minimalism and simplicity, with a small, simple syntax and a flexible data structure. It is an interpreted language and supports dynamic scoping, first-class functions, and macro processing. It also has built-in functions for database processing, making it suitable for applications that require database management. PicoLisp is open-source and can be used on various operating systems, including Linux and MacOS.

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

First 20 minutes

General PicoLisp app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define PicoLisp?

PicoLisp is a programming language that is a dialect of Lisp. It is designed for simplicity and efficiency, and is particularly effective for database applications.

What are the key features of PicoLisp?

PicoLisp has a number of key features, including a simple and consistent language design, a built-in database system, and a unique approach to symbolic processing.

Describe the difference between PicoLisp and other Lisp dialects.

PicoLisp is simpler and more efficient than many other Lisp dialects. It also includes a built-in database system, which is not common in other dialects.

How would you create a function in PicoLisp?

In PicoLisp, you can create a function using the 'de' keyword, followed by the function name and its arguments, and then the function body.

What are the data types in PicoLisp?

PicoLisp has three basic data types: numbers, symbols, and lists.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of PicoLisp?

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?

Is the candidate able to articulate their thought process clearly?

Has the candidate shown knowledge of software development methodologies?

Next 20 minutes

Specific PicoLisp 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 errors in PicoLisp?

PicoLisp has a built-in error handling mechanism. You can use the 'catch' and 'throw' functions to handle errors.

Describe the difference between 'catch' and 'throw' in PicoLisp.

'Catch' is used to catch an error that may be thrown within its body, while 'throw' is used to throw an error.

How would you use the 'mapcar' function in PicoLisp?

'Mapcar' is a function that applies a given function to each element of a list and returns a new list with the results.

What are the control structures in PicoLisp?

PicoLisp has several control structures, including 'if', 'while', 'until', 'for', and 'loop'.

How would you use the 'if' control structure in PicoLisp?

The 'if' control structure in PicoLisp is used to execute a block of code if a certain condition is true.

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

What does this simple PicoLisp code do?
(setq x 10)
This code assigns the value 10 to the variable x.
What will be the output of this PicoLisp code?
(de hello-world () (prinl "Hello, World!")) (hello-world)
This code will print 'Hello, World!' to the console.
What does this PicoLisp code do?
(mapcar inc '(1 2 3 4 5))
This code increments each element in the list (1 2 3 4 5) by 1, resulting in the list (2 3 4 5 6).
What does this PicoLisp code do?
(task (wait 1000) (prinl "Hello, World!"))
This code creates a new task that waits for 1000 milliseconds, then prints 'Hello, World!' to the console.

Wrap-up questions

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

Describe the difference between 'while' and 'until' in PicoLisp.

'While' executes a block of code as long as a certain condition is true, while 'until' executes a block of code until a certain condition is true.

How would you use the 'for' control structure in PicoLisp?

The 'for' control structure in PicoLisp is used to execute a block of code a certain number of times.

What are the built-in functions in PicoLisp?

PicoLisp has a number of built-in functions, including 'car', 'cdr', 'cons', 'list', 'mapcar', 'apply', and many others.

PicoLisp application related

Product Perfect's PicoLisp development capabilities

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

PicoLisp Consultive assessments

PicoLisp Application Conversion Assessment PicoLisp Application Integration Assessment PicoLisp Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom PicoLisp development projects

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

Hiring guide for PicoLisp Engineers

PicoLisp Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

PicoLisp Consultive assessments

Custom PicoLisp development projects