Product Perfect

**PRO-IV** is a computer programming language developed by **IBM** in the 1960s. It was designed as a successor to the **PL/I** programming language, and was used to develop a variety of applications, including business systems, scientific computing, and real-time systems. **PRO-IV** was eventually superseded by more modern programming languages, such as **C** and **Java**. **References:** * [IBM PRO-IV Programming Language](https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLTBW_2.3.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r3.bpxl200/bpxl200.htm)

Ask the right questions secure the right PRO-IV talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General PRO-IV app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define a function in PRO-IV?

In PRO-IV, a function is defined by using the FUNCTION keyword followed by the function name. The function name is then followed by any parameters enclosed in parentheses. The function body is enclosed in BEGIN and END keywords.

What are the basic data types in PRO-IV?

The basic data types in PRO-IV are Numeric, Alphanumeric, Date, Time, and Boolean.

Describe the difference between a global and a local variable in PRO-IV.

A global variable in PRO-IV is one that is accessible throughout the entire application, whereas a local variable is only accessible within the function or procedure where it is declared.

How would you handle errors in PRO-IV?

Errors in PRO-IV can be handled using the ON ERROR statement. This statement allows you to specify a function to be called when an error occurs.

What is the purpose of the @ sign in PRO-IV?

The @ sign in PRO-IV is used to denote system variables. These are variables that are automatically maintained by the system and can be used in your functions.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of PRO-IV?

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Does the candidate have experience with similar projects?

Next 20 minutes

Specific PRO-IV 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 create a loop in PRO-IV?

A loop in PRO-IV can be created using the FOR statement. The FOR statement is followed by a variable, an equals sign, a starting value, TO, and an ending value. The loop body is enclosed in BEGIN and END keywords.

What are the different types of functions in PRO-IV?

There are several types of functions in PRO-IV, including Update, Inquiry, Report, Logic, and Screen functions.

Describe the difference between a screen function and a logic function in PRO-IV.

A screen function in PRO-IV is used to interact with the user, displaying data and accepting input. A logic function, on the other hand, is used to perform calculations and data manipulations without any user interaction.

How would you perform string manipulation in PRO-IV?

String manipulation in PRO-IV can be performed using various functions such as SUBSTR for substring extraction, LENGTH for getting string length, and CONCAT for string concatenation.

What is the purpose of the PRO-IV Kernel?

The PRO-IV Kernel is the runtime environment for PRO-IV applications. It is responsible for executing PRO-IV functions and managing resources such as memory and database connections.

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

What does this simple PRO-IV function do?
FUNCTION TEST
  GLOBALS
    STRING NAME = 'JOHN'
  ENDGLOBALS
  LOGIC
    DISPLAY(NAME)
ENDFUNCTION
This function displays the global variable 'NAME' which is set to 'JOHN'.
What is the output of this PRO-IV function?
FUNCTION TEST
  GLOBALS
    NUMERIC X = 5
    NUMERIC Y = 10
  ENDGLOBALS
  LOGIC
    DISPLAY(X + Y)
ENDFUNCTION
The output of this function will be 15, which is the sum of the global variables X and Y.
What does this PRO-IV function do with an array?
FUNCTION TEST
  GLOBALS
    ARRAY NUMBERS[3] = {1, 2, 3}
  ENDGLOBALS
  LOGIC
    FOR I = 1 TO 3
      DISPLAY(NUMBERS[I])
    ENDFOR
ENDFUNCTION
This function iterates over the array 'NUMBERS' and displays each element.
What does this PRO-IV function do with threading?
FUNCTION TEST
  GLOBALS
    NUMERIC X = 5
  ENDGLOBALS
  LOGIC
    THREAD
      X = X + 1
    ENDTHREAD
    DISPLAY(X)
ENDFUNCTION
This function increments the global variable 'X' in a separate thread and then displays the result.

Wrap-up questions

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

How would you implement conditional logic in PRO-IV?

Conditional logic in PRO-IV can be implemented using the IF statement. The IF statement is followed by a condition, then the THEN keyword, and then the statements to be executed if the condition is true.

What are the different types of file operations in PRO-IV?

In PRO-IV, you can perform various file operations such as OPEN for opening a file, READ for reading data from a file, WRITE for writing data to a file, and CLOSE for closing a file.

Describe the difference between the READ and FETCH statements in PRO-IV.

The READ statement in PRO-IV is used to read a record from a file, while the FETCH statement is used to retrieve a record from a database.

PRO-IV application related

Product Perfect's PRO-IV development capabilities

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

PRO-IV Consultive assessments

PRO-IV Application Conversion Assessment PRO-IV Application Integration Assessment PRO-IV Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom PRO-IV development projects

Custom PRO-IV App Conversion PRO-IV Custom App Development Process App UI Design for PRO-IV Facelifts

Hiring guide for PRO-IV Engineers

PRO-IV Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the PRO-IV engineer at this point.

PRO-IV Consultive assessments

Custom PRO-IV development projects