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PL/360 is a compiled programming language developed by IBM in the 1960s. It was one of the first high-level programming languages to be widely used, and it was the primary language for developing business applications on IBM mainframes. PL/360 was eventually superseded by newer languages such as COBOL and C++, but it remains an important part of IBM's legacy. Sources: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PL/360 [2] https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/mainframe_pl360.html

Ask the right questions secure the right PL360 Compiler(PL/360) talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General PL360 Compiler(PL/360) app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in PL360 Compiler(PL/360) application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

What are the basic data types supported by PL/360?

PL/360 supports only one basic data type that is a 32-bit word. It can be interpreted as an integer, floating-point number, or an address.

How would you declare a variable in PL/360?

In PL/360, variables are declared by specifying the variable name followed by a colon and then the type. For example, 'VAR1: WORD;' declares a variable named VAR1.

Describe the difference between PL/360 and high-level languages like C or Java.

PL/360 is a low-level programming language designed for systems programming, with a syntax similar to ALGOL. Unlike high-level languages like C or Java, PL/360 provides direct access to machine hardware.

What are the control structures available in PL/360?

PL/360 supports IF-THEN-ELSE, DO-WHILE, and CASE control structures.

How would you perform error handling in PL/360?

PL/360 does not have built-in error handling constructs. Error handling has to be manually implemented using conditional statements and system calls.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of PL/360 language?

Has the candidate demonstrated experience with compiler construction and optimization?

Can the candidate effectively debug and solve problems in PL/360?

Does the candidate have knowledge of assembly language programming?

Next 20 minutes

Specific PL360 Compiler(PL/360) 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 is the purpose of the BEGIN and END statements in PL/360?

The BEGIN and END statements in PL/360 are used to denote the start and end of a block of code, similar to the curly braces {} in C or Java.

How would you implement a function in PL/360?

In PL/360, functions are implemented as separate procedures that can be called from the main program. The procedure keyword is used to define a function.

What are the key features of PL/360 that make it suitable for systems programming?

PL/360 provides direct access to machine hardware, supports inline assembly code, and has a simple and efficient syntax, making it suitable for systems programming.

Describe the difference between the DO and DO WHILE loops in PL/360.

In PL/360, the DO loop executes a block of code a specified number of times, whereas the DO WHILE loop executes a block of code as long as a specified condition is true.

How would you handle arrays in PL/360?

In PL/360, arrays are declared similarly to variables, but with an additional size specifier. For example, 'ARR: ARRAY[10] OF WORD;' declares an array of 10 words.

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At this point, a skilled PL360 Compiler(PL/360) engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in PL360 Compiler(PL/360) 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 PL360 Compiler(PL/360).

What does the following PL/360 code do?
BEGIN PROCEDURE(2); CALL(1); END;
This code defines a procedure with two arguments and then calls a procedure with one argument.
What is the output of the following PL/360 code snippet?
BEGIN INTEGER X; X := 10; IF X = 10 THEN WRITE('X is 10'); END;
This code declares an integer X, assigns the value 10 to X, and then checks if X is equal to 10. If it is, it writes 'X is 10' to the standard output. Therefore, the output will be 'X is 10'.
What does the following PL/360 code do?
BEGIN INTEGER ARRAY X[10]; INTEGER I; FOR I := 1 TO 10 DO X[I] := I * I; END;
This code declares an array of integers X with 10 elements and an integer I. It then uses a for loop to assign the square of each index to the corresponding element in the array X.
What does the following PL/360 code do?
BEGIN PROCEDURE P; BEGIN INTEGER X; X := 1; END; BEGIN INTEGER Y; Y := 2; CALL P; END;
This code defines a procedure P that declares an integer X and assigns it the value 1. Then it declares another integer Y, assigns it the value 2, and makes a call to the procedure P. However, the procedure P doesn't have any effects on the surrounding code because it doesn't interact with it in any way.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for PL360 Compiler(PL/360) 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 PL360 Compiler(PL/360) application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

What are the bitwise operators in PL/360 and how would you use them?

PL/360 supports bitwise AND (&), OR (|), XOR (#), and NOT (~). They are used to perform bit-level operations on 32-bit words.

How would you implement recursion in PL/360?

Recursion in PL/360 can be implemented by having a procedure call itself. However, care must be taken to ensure that the recursion terminates, to avoid a stack overflow.

Describe the difference between the GOTO and CALL statements in PL/360.

In PL/360, the GOTO statement is used to jump to a specific point in the code, whereas the CALL statement is used to call a procedure and then return to the point from where it was called.

PL360 Compiler(PL/360) application related

Product Perfect's PL360 Compiler(PL/360) development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your PL360 Compiler(PL/360) engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in PL360 Compiler(PL/360) projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Consultive assessments

PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Application Conversion Assessment PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Application Integration Assessment PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom PL360 Compiler(PL/360) development projects

Custom PL360 Compiler(PL/360) App Conversion PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Custom App Development Process App UI Design for PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Facelifts

Hiring guide for PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Engineers

PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the PL360 Compiler(PL/360) engineer at this point.

PL360 Compiler(PL/360) Consultive assessments

Custom PL360 Compiler(PL/360) development projects