APLX Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for APLX Engineers

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

APLX is a modern variant of the APL programming language, developed by MicroAPL Ltd in 2002. It is an array-oriented language, renowned for its concise and expressive syntax. APLX supports both classical APL and nested arrays, and it includes a full GUI interface for building applications. This language is designed to run on a variety of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and AIX. The information about APLX is sourced from MicroAPL Ltd's official website and various programming language repositories.

First 20 minutes

General APLX 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 uses of workspace in APLX?

In APLX, a workspace is used to store all the variables, functions, and operators that are currently in use. It allows for the saving and loading of the programming environment.

How would you create a function in APLX?

In APLX, a function is created by defining a name for the function, followed by its arguments enclosed in parentheses, and then the function body enclosed in curly braces.

Describe the difference between scalar and non-scalar data types in APLX.

Scalar data types in APLX refer to single data items, such as numbers or characters. Non-scalar data types, on the other hand, refer to collections of data items, such as arrays.

What are the key features of APLX?

Key features of APLX include its array-oriented programming model, dynamic typing, and interactive execution environment.

How would you define the APLX programming language?

APLX is a high-level, interactive, interpreted language that uses a large range of special graphic symbols to represent functions and operators.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of software development methodologies?

Understanding of software development methodologies like Agile or Scrum is important for managing projects and working within a team.

Has the candidate shown an ability to learn new technologies quickly?

The tech industry is always evolving, so it's important for a developer to be able to adapt and learn new technologies quickly.

Does the candidate have experience with other programming languages?

Knowledge of other programming languages can be beneficial for understanding different coding paradigms and techniques, which can be applied in APLX development.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Good communication skills are necessary for understanding project requirements, collaborating with team members, and explaining complex technical concepts.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer to troubleshoot and fix issues that may arise during the development process.

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of APLX language?

This is crucial as the position requires a deep knowledge of APLX language to develop and maintain applications.

Next 20 minutes

Specific APLX 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 implement recursion in APLX?

Recursion in APLX can be implemented by having a function call itself within its own definition. Care must be taken to ensure that the recursion terminates to avoid infinite loops.

Describe the difference between explicit and implicit indexing in APLX.

Explicit indexing in APLX involves specifying the index of an array element directly, while implicit indexing involves using an index vector to access multiple elements at once.

What are the key principles of array-oriented programming in APLX?

Array-oriented programming in APLX involves operations that are applied to whole arrays without the need for explicit loops. This allows for concise and efficient code.

How would you handle errors in APLX?

In APLX, errors can be handled using the '?TRAP' system function, which allows for the specification of error handlers.

Describe the difference between monadic and dyadic functions in APLX.

Monadic functions in APLX are those that take one argument, while dyadic functions take two arguments. The difference between them lies in the number of arguments they take.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this point, the candidate should demonstrate deep understanding of APLX programming, problem-solving skills and ability to work in a team. They should show proficiency in designing and implementing APLX software solutions. Red flags include lack of detail in responses, inability to solve simple problems or poor communication skills.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following APLX code do? `?10`

?10

This code generates a vector of the first 10 integers starting from 1. The iota (?) function in APLX is used to generate a vector of integers.

What will be the output of the following APLX code? `3 1 ? 'Hello'`

3 1 ? 'Hello'

This code will reshape the string 'Hello' into a 3x1 matrix. The reshape (?) function in APLX is used to reshape an array or collection.

What does the following APLX code do? `+/1 2 3 4 5`

+/1 2 3 4 5

This code sums up the elements of the array [1,2,3,4,5]. The reduction (+/) function in APLX is used to reduce an array or collection using a specified operation.

What does the following APLX code do? `2 ? 'Hello'`

2 ? 'Hello'

This code retrieves the third character from the string 'Hello'. The index (?) function in APLX is used to retrieve an element at a specific index from an array or collection.

What does the following APLX code do? `?NEW 'MyClass'`

?NEW 'MyClass'

This code creates a new instance of the class 'MyClass'. The system function ?NEW in APLX is used to create a new instance of a class.

What will be the output of the following APLX code? `2 2 ? ?4`

2 2 ? ?4

This code will reshape the first 4 integers into a 2x2 matrix. The reshape (?) function in APLX is used to reshape an array or collection.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for APLX role questions

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

Describe the difference between APLX and other programming languages.

APLX differs from other programming languages in its use of special symbols to represent functions and operators, its array-oriented programming model, and its interactive execution environment.

What are the challenges of working with APLX?

Some challenges of working with APLX include its use of non-standard symbols, which can make the code difficult to read and understand, and its lack of widespread use, which can make finding resources and support more difficult.

How would you optimize performance in APLX?

Performance in APLX can be optimized by using array-oriented programming techniques to avoid loops, using operators to modify function behavior, and minimizing the use of global variables.

Describe the difference between traditional and direct functions in APLX.

Traditional functions in APLX are defined using a separate editor and can have multiple lines of code. Direct functions, on the other hand, are defined directly in the session and are typically one-liners.

What are the uses of operators in APLX?

Operators in APLX are used to modify the behavior of functions. They can be used to create new functions, apply functions over arrays, and more.

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APLX application related

Product Perfect's APLX development capabilities

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