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Ratfor (short for Rational Fortran) is a preprocessor programming language for the Fortran computer programming language. It was developed in the 1970s to provide structured programming constructs not available in standard Fortran, such as while loops and if-then-else statements. Ratfor programs are translated into standard Fortran code before being compiled, allowing them to be run on any machine with a Fortran compiler. Despite its age, Ratfor is still occasionally used for scientific and numerical computing due to the widespread availability of Fortran compilers.

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

First 20 minutes

General Ratfor app knowledge and experience

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

How would you define Ratfor?

Ratfor is a preprocessor for Fortran that introduces structured programming concepts to the language, making it easier to write, read, and maintain.

What are the basic data types in Ratfor?

Ratfor uses the same data types as Fortran, including INTEGER, REAL, DOUBLE PRECISION, COMPLEX, LOGICAL, and CHARACTER.

How would you declare a variable in Ratfor?

In Ratfor, you declare a variable in the same way as in Fortran. For example, 'integer i' declares an integer variable named i.

Describe the difference between a 'do while' and a 'do until' loop in Ratfor.

'do while' loop continues as long as the condition is true, whereas a 'do until' loop continues until the condition becomes true.

What are the control structures available in Ratfor?

Ratfor provides several control structures including if-else, for, while, until, break, next, and repeat.

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What you’re looking for early on

Has the candidate demonstrated a strong understanding of Ratfor programming?

Did the candidate provide examples of past projects where they used Ratfor?

Has the candidate shown problem-solving skills?

Does the candidate seem to be a good fit for the team culturally?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Ratfor 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 an array in Ratfor?

Arrays in Ratfor are handled the same way as in Fortran. For example, 'real a(10)' declares a real array 'a' with 10 elements.

What is the use of the 'include' statement in Ratfor?

The 'include' statement is used to include the contents of another file into the current Ratfor program.

How would you implement a function in Ratfor?

Functions in Ratfor are implemented similarly to Fortran. You would define the function, specify its return type, and then write the function body.

What is the purpose of the 'next' statement in Ratfor?

The 'next' statement is used to skip the rest of the current iteration of a loop and immediately start the next iteration.

How would you handle errors in Ratfor?

Error handling in Ratfor is typically done using the 'if' statement to check for error conditions and then taking appropriate action.

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

What does this simple Ratfor code do?
integer i
for i = 1, 10
print i
end
This code declares an integer variable 'i' and then uses a for loop to iterate from 1 to 10, printing the value of 'i' at each iteration.
What is the purpose of the 'while' keyword in this Ratfor code snippet?
integer i
i = 10
while i > 0
print i
i = i - 1
end
The 'while' keyword is used to create a loop that will continue to execute as long as the condition (i > 0) is true. In this code, it will print the value of 'i' and then decrement 'i' by 1 until 'i' is no longer greater than 0.
What will be the output of this Ratfor code that manipulates an array?
integer i, array[10]
for i = 1, 10
array[i] = i * i
print array[i]
end
This code will output the square of each number from 1 to 10. It does this by iterating over an array with a for loop, at each iteration it computes the square of 'i' and stores it in the 'i'-th index of the array, then it prints the value stored in the 'i'-th index of the array.
What does this Ratfor code do related to threading or concurrency?
integer i
for i = 1, 10
print i
if i == 5 then goto 100
end
100: print 'Jumped to label 100'
Ratfor doesn't support threading or concurrency. However, this code demonstrates the usage of the 'goto' keyword, which is a form of control flow that can jump to different parts of code based on certain conditions. In this code, when 'i' equals 5, the code jumps to the label 100 and prints 'Jumped to label 100'.

Wrap-up questions

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

Describe the difference between 'break' and 'next' in Ratfor.

'break' is used to exit a loop prematurely, whereas 'next' is used to skip the rest of the current iteration and start the next one.

How would you use the 'repeat' statement in Ratfor?

The 'repeat' statement is used to create a loop that executes at least once and continues until the condition becomes false.

What is the purpose of the 'exit' statement in Ratfor?

The 'exit' statement is used to terminate the execution of a program immediately.

Ratfor application related

Product Perfect's Ratfor development capabilities

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

Ratfor Consultive assessments

Ratfor Application Conversion Assessment Ratfor Application Integration Assessment Ratfor Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom Ratfor development projects

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

Hiring guide for Ratfor Engineers

Ratfor Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

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

Ratfor Consultive assessments

Custom Ratfor development projects