ASP.NET Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for ASP.NET Engineers

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

ASP.NET is a server-side web application framework developed by Microsoft, first released in January 2002 with version 1.0 of the .NET Framework. It is designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages and applications. The language is built on the Common Language Runtime (CLR), allowing programmers to write ASP.NET code using any supported .NET language. ASP.NET's successor, ASP.NET Core, was released in 2016 as a significant redesign of ASP.NET. This information is sourced from Microsoft's official documentation and various historical records on software development.

First 20 minutes

General ASP.NET 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 role of the Global.asax file in ASP.NET?

The Global.asax file, also known as the ASP.NET application file, is used to handle application-level and session-level events. It is optional and can be used to handle events like Application_Start, Application_End, Session_Start, Session_End, etc.

Describe the difference between Server.Transfer and Response.Redirect.

Server.Transfer transfers from one page to another without making a round-trip back to the client's browser. This provides a faster response with a little less overhead on the server. Response.Redirect is used to redirect the user's browser to another page or site. It performs trip in the client browser and redirects to a new page.

What is ViewState in ASP.NET?

ViewState is a built-in structure for automatically retaining values between multiple requests for the same page. It is used to store user data on page at the time of post back of web page.

How would you handle exceptions in ASP.NET?

In ASP.NET, exceptions can be handled using try-catch blocks, where the code that might throw an exception is placed in the try block and the exception is caught and handled in the catch block. Another way is to use the Global.asax file to handle exceptions at the application level.

What are the different types of cookies in ASP.NET?

There are two types of cookies in ASP.NET: Persistent Cookies and Session Cookies. Persistent Cookies are stored on the user's device and remain there even after the browser is closed. Session Cookies are temporary and are removed as soon as the user closes the browser.

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What youre looking for early-on

Has the candidate shown an ability to work well in a team?

Teamwork skills are important in a developer role as they will often need to work closely with other developers, as well as non-technical team members.

Does the candidate have experience with database technologies like SQL Server?

Experience with database technologies is important as the candidate will likely need to work with databases as part of their role. SQL Server is commonly used with ASP.NET.

Can the candidate effectively communicate their thought process and solutions?

Communication skills are important in any job role. In a developer role, the candidate will need to be able to explain their solutions to non-technical team members and stakeholders.

Is the candidate familiar with the latest trends and technologies in ASP.NET?

Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies is important in a rapidly evolving field like software development. This will ensure that the candidate can leverage the most efficient and effective tools and techniques in their work.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer as they will often need to find solutions to complex coding issues or bugs.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of ASP.NET framework?

This is crucial as the job role requires the candidate to work extensively with ASP.NET. A strong understanding of the framework will allow them to develop efficient and effective solutions.

Next 20 minutes

Specific ASP.NET 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 secure an ASP.NET application?

ASP.NET application can be secured by using Windows authentication, Forms authentication, or Passport authentication. It can also be secured by using authorization, where you can specify which resources a user is allowed to access.

What is the use of Master Pages in ASP.NET?

Master Pages in ASP.NET provide a template for one or more web pages in your application. It allows you to create a consistent layout for the pages in your application.

Describe the difference between a DataReader and a DataSet in ASP.NET.

A DataReader is a forward-only, read-only cursor that is used to read data from a database. It is faster and uses less memory than a DataSet. A DataSet is an in-memory representation of a collection of Database objects that includes tables, relations, and constraints.

What are HttpHandlers and HttpModules in ASP.NET?

HttpHandlers and HttpModules are components that are used to process requests. An HttpHandler is the process that runs in response to a request made to an ASP.NET application. An HttpModule is an assembly that is called on every request that is made to your application.

How would you implement caching in ASP.NET?

Caching in ASP.NET can be implemented using the Cache object, which lets you store data that can be globally accessed in your application. You can also use the @OutputCache directive to cache the output of a page or user control.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this stage, a skilled ASP.NET engineer should demonstrate strong knowledge of ASP.NET framework, proficiency in C# and .NET development, and experience with SQL Server. Red flags include lack of problem-solving skills, poor understanding of web development principles or inability to work collaboratively.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following ASP.NET code do?

public ActionResult Index()
{
    return View();
}

This code defines an action method for the 'Index' view. When this action method is invoked, it returns the 'Index' view.

What will be the output of the following ASP.NET code?

string str = 'Hello';
string str2 = str;
str2 += ' World';
Console.WriteLine(str);

The output will be 'Hello'. This is because strings in .NET are immutable. When we append ' World' to str2, it creates a new string and str2 now points to this new string, but str still points to the original 'Hello' string.

What does the following ASP.NET code do?

List numbers = new List {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
numbers.RemoveRange(1, 3);

This code creates a list of integers and then removes three elements starting from the second element. The resulting list will be {1, 5}.

What does the following ASP.NET code do?

public class Worker
{
    public void DoWork()
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
        {
            Thread.Sleep(1000);
            Console.WriteLine('Working...');
        }
    }
}

Thread workerThread = new Thread(new Worker().DoWork);
workerThread.Start();

This code creates a new thread and starts it. The new thread executes the 'DoWork' method of the 'Worker' class, which prints 'Working...' to the console every second for 5 seconds.

What does the following ASP.NET code do?

public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; set; }
}

Person person = new Person { Name = 'John', Age = 30 };

This code defines a 'Person' class with two properties: 'Name' and 'Age'. It then creates an instance of the 'Person' class, setting the 'Name' property to 'John' and the 'Age' property to 30.

What will be the output of the following ASP.NET code?

public class Test
{
    public int X { get; set; }
    public int Y { get; set; }
}

Test t1 = new Test { X = 10, Y = 20 };
Test t2 = t1;
t2.X = 30;
Console.WriteLine(t1.X);

The output will be '30'. This is because t1 and t2 are references to the same object. When we change the 'X' property of t2, it also changes the 'X' property of t1.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for ASP.NET role questions

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

What is the ASP.NET MVC life cycle?

The ASP.NET MVC life cycle includes several steps: routing, creating MVC request handler, creating controller, executing controller, invoking action, executing result, and rendering view.

How would you implement a many-to-many relationship using Entity Framework?

In Entity Framework, a many-to-many relationship can be implemented using a junction table. The junction table is used to split the many-to-many relationship into two one-to-many relationships.

What is a PostBack in ASP.NET?

PostBack is the process in which a webpage sends data back to the same page on the server.

Describe the difference between a GridView control and a DataList control.

GridView control is used to display the values of a data source in a table where each column represents a field and each row represents a record. The DataList control is used to display data in any repeating structure, like a table.

What are the different types of validation controls in ASP.NET?

ASP.NET provides several validation controls like RequiredFieldValidator, RangeValidator, CompareValidator, RegularExpressionValidator, CustomValidator, and ValidationSummary.

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ASP.NET application related

Product Perfect's ASP.NET development capabilities

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