Alice Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for Alice Engineers

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

Alice is a 3D educational programming language developed by Carnegie Mellon University. It was first released in 1994 and is based on the Logo programming language. Alice is designed to teach introductory computer science concepts to students in a visual and interactive way. The language has been used in classrooms around the world and has been cited as a successful tool for teaching computer science.

First 20 minutes

General Alice 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 is the purpose of the setup method in Alice?

The setup method in Alice is used to initialize the program. It's the first method that's called when the program runs.

How would you create a new method in Alice?

In Alice, a new method can be created by selecting the 'create new method' option in the methods tab of the details area. You can then name the method and define its behavior.

Describe the difference between methods and functions in Alice.

Methods perform an action on an object, while functions return a value. In Alice, every method is a procedure and every function is a question.

What are the key elements of Alice programming?

The key elements of Alice programming are objects, methods, events, and control structures.

How would you define object-oriented programming in Alice?

Object-oriented programming in Alice is a method of programming where we model real-world things using classes and objects. It allows for encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have experience with relevant projects or jobs?

Past experience can show that the candidate can apply their skills in a practical setting and handle the demands of the job.

Has the candidate shown a passion for continuous learning?

The tech field is always evolving, so a successful candidate should show a willingness to keep their skills up to date.

Is the candidate able to think creatively?

Creativity is key in development to find innovative solutions and think outside of the box.

Has the candidate displayed effective communication skills?

Clear communication is important because developers often work in teams and need to explain their work to non-technical stakeholders.

Does the candidate show good problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are crucial because coding often involves troubleshooting and finding solutions to complex problems.

Has the candidate demonstrated a strong understanding of Alice programming?

This is essential because a deep understanding of Alice programming is fundamental to the position.

Next 20 minutes

Specific Alice 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.

What is the difference between a local variable and a global variable in Alice?

In Alice, a local variable is only accessible within the method where it's declared, while a global variable can be accessed by any method in the program.

How would you use variables in Alice?

Variables in Alice can be used to store and manipulate data. They can be created by selecting the 'create new variable' option in the properties tab of the details area.

Describe the difference between a single-line comment and a multi-line comment in Alice.

In Alice, a single-line comment is a note for a specific line of code, while a multi-line comment can span several lines. They're used to explain the code and are ignored by the compiler.

What are the different types of control structures in Alice?

In Alice, the control structures are sequence, selection, and repetition. Sequence is the default control structure, selection includes if/else statements, and repetition includes loops.

How would you create a new event in Alice?

To create a new event in Alice, you would go to the events tab and then click on 'create new event'. You can then define the event and its behavior.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled Alice engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in Alice 3D programming, and effective communication skills. Red flags include lack of knowledge about the software's features, inability to explain complex concepts simply, or a poor track record of teamwork.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following code do?

{ "name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New York" }

This code defines a JSON object with three properties: name, age, and city. The values of these properties are "John", 30, and "New York" respectively.

What will be the output of the following code?

{ "employees":[ {"firstName":"John", "lastName":"Doe"}, {"firstName":"Anna", "lastName":"Smith"}, {"firstName":"Peter", "lastName":"Jones"} ] }

The output is a JSON object that contains an array named 'employees'. This array has three elements, each of which is a JSON object with properties 'firstName' and 'lastName'.

What does the following code do?

{ "fruits": ["apple", "banana", "cherry"] }

This code defines a JSON object with a single property 'fruits'. The value of this property is an array containing three strings: "apple", "banana", and "cherry".

What will be the output of the following code?

{ "person": { "name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York", "cars": [ "Ford", "BMW", "Fiat" ] } }

The output is a JSON object that contains another JSON object named 'person'. This 'person' object has four properties: 'name', 'age', 'city', and 'cars'. The 'cars' property is an array containing three strings.

What does the following code do?

{ "company": { "employee": { "name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York" }, "products": [ "product1", "product2" ] } }

This code defines a JSON object 'company' that contains two properties: 'employee' and 'products'. The 'employee' property is another JSON object with properties 'name', 'age', and 'city'. The 'products' property is an array containing two strings.

What will be the output of the following code?

{ "library": { "books": [ { "title": "Book1", "author": "Author1" }, { "title": "Book2", "author": "Author2" } ], "location": "City" } }

The output is a JSON object 'library' that contains two properties: 'books' and 'location'. The 'books' property is an array containing two JSON objects, each with properties 'title' and 'author'. The 'location' property is a string.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Alice role questions

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

How would you handle exceptions in Alice?

Alice does not natively support exception handling. However, we can use conditional statements to check for potential problems and handle them accordingly.

What is the difference between the 'While' loop and the 'For all in order' loop in Alice?

In Alice, the 'While' loop repeats a block of code while a condition is true, while the 'For all in order' loop repeats a block of code for each item in a list.

How would you use the 'While' loop in Alice?

The 'While' loop in Alice is used to repeat a block of code while a certain condition is true. You can use it by dragging and dropping it into the method editor, defining the condition, and then adding the instructions.

What is the purpose of the 'Do together' control structure in Alice?

The 'Do together' control structure in Alice is used to execute multiple instructions at the same time. It's useful for creating parallel actions.

How would you use the 'Do in order' control structure in Alice?

The 'Do in order' control structure in Alice is used to execute a series of instructions in the order they appear. You can use it by dragging and dropping it into the method editor and then adding the instructions.

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Alice application related

Product Perfect's Alice development capabilities

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