Aldor Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for Aldor Engineers

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

The Aldor programming language is a successor to the A# language, developed by IBM's Thomas Mandel and Richard S. Bird in the 1980s. It was initially designed for use in the Axiom computer algebra system, as documented in Stephen Watt's "Aldor" (1997). The language exhibits a blend of imperative, functional, and object-oriented programming paradigms. Aldor's distinguishing feature is its dependent types system, which allows for more precise expressiveness and control in software design. Despite its innovative features, Aldor has remained relatively obscure due to limited commercial uptake and proprietary restrictions until 2003 when it became open-source.

First 20 minutes

General Aldor knowledge and experience

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

What are the main uses of Aldor?

Aldor is mainly used in mathematical and scientific computing, particularly in areas like algebraic computations and symbolic computations.

How would you implement a function in Aldor?

Functions in Aldor are implemented using the '->' operator for defining the function type and the ':=' operator for assigning the function body.

Describe the difference between Aldor and other programming languages.

Unlike many other programming languages, Aldor is designed for mathematical computations and symbolic computations. It also has a dependent type system, which allows for more flexibility and expressiveness.

What are the main features of Aldor language?

Aldor language features include dependent types, first-class functions, and an emphasis on symbolic computation.

How would you define Aldor's type system?

Aldor's type system is dependent and based on lambda calculus. It allows for more expressiveness and flexibility in the typing of functions and data.

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What youre looking for early-on

Has the candidate demonstrated an ability to learn and adapt?

The tech field is always evolving, so it's important that the candidate is able to learn and adapt to new technologies and methodologies.

Does the candidate seem passionate about programming, particularly in Aldor?

Passion often translates to motivation and dedication in the role.

Has the candidate discussed past projects where they used Aldor?

Past experience with Aldor in a project setting demonstrates practical application of their skills.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively about their process and decisions?

Effective communication is important in a team setting and for understanding the candidate's thought process.

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

Problem-solving is a key skill in any development role, including Aldor development.

Does the candidate demonstrate a strong understanding of Aldor programming language?

Aldor is the primary skill required for the job, so a solid understanding is crucial.

Next 20 minutes

Specific Aldor development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

How would you optimize an Aldor program for performance?

Optimizing an Aldor program for performance can involve techniques like reducing the number of function calls, using more efficient data structures, and avoiding unnecessary computations.

Describe the difference between Aldor's '->' and ':=' operators.

In Aldor, the '->' operator is used to define the type of a function, while the ':=' operator is used to assign the body of a function or a value to a variable.

What are the benefits of Aldor's dependent type system?

Aldor's dependent type system allows for more expressiveness in the typing of functions and data. It also allows for more robust type checking at compile time, which can help prevent errors.

How would you handle errors in Aldor?

Errors in Aldor can be handled using exceptions. The 'throw' keyword is used to raise an exception, while the 'try' and 'catch' keywords are used to handle them.

Describe the difference between dependent and independent types in Aldor.

Dependent types in Aldor are those whose definition depends on a value, while independent types are those that do not depend on any value.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this stage, a skilled Aldor engineer should demonstrate proficiency in Aldor programming language, problem-solving skills, and experience with mathematical software. Red flags include inability to articulate complex ideas clearly and lack of concrete examples of past work.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with Aldor.

What does the following Aldor code do?

import from List Integer;
xs: List Integer := [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
ys: List Integer := reverse! xs;

The code imports the List Integer type, creates a list of integers named 'xs', and then creates a reversed copy of 'xs' named 'ys'.

What will be the output of the following Aldor code?

import from Integer;
stdout << 2 + 3 << newline;

The code will output the result of the addition operation, which is '5', to the standard output.

What does the following Aldor code do?

import from List Integer;
xs: List Integer := [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
ys: List Integer := [x * x for x in xs];

The code imports the List Integer type, creates a list of integers named 'xs', and then creates a new list 'ys' where each element is the square of the corresponding element in 'xs'.

What does the following Aldor code do?

import from MachineInteger, Thread;
myThread: Thread MachineInteger := thread { () +-> 42 };

The code imports the MachineInteger and Thread types, and then creates a new thread named 'myThread' that, when run, will return the integer '42'.

What does the following Aldor code do?

define MyType: Category == with { myMethod: % -> %; };
MyClass: MyType == add { myMethod(x: %): % == x; };

The code defines a new category named 'MyType' with a method named 'myMethod', and then defines a new type 'MyClass' that implements 'MyType' where 'myMethod' simply returns its input.

What will be the output of the following Aldor code?

import from Integer;
stdout << factorial 5 << newline;

The code will output the factorial of '5', which is '120', to the standard output.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Aldor role questions

The final few interview questions for a Aldor candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

How would you implement a complex algorithm in Aldor?

Implementing a complex algorithm in Aldor would involve breaking down the algorithm into smaller parts, implementing each part as a function, and then combining these functions to form the overall algorithm.

What are the challenges of working with Aldor's type system?

Working with Aldor's type system can be challenging due to its complexity and expressiveness. It requires a deep understanding of the language and its concepts.

How would you implement a recursive function in Aldor?

A recursive function in Aldor can be implemented by having the function call itself within its own definition. The base case is defined to stop the recursion.

Describe the difference between Aldor and Axiom.

Aldor and Axiom are both computer algebra systems, but Aldor is a programming language used to implement Axiom. Aldor is more powerful and flexible, while Axiom provides a more user-friendly interface.

What are the limitations of Aldor?

Some limitations of Aldor include a steep learning curve, limited support for concurrent programming, and a lack of libraries and tools compared to more mainstream languages.

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Aldor application related

Product Perfect's Aldor development capabilities

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