BrightScript. Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for BrightScript. Engineers

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

BrightScript is a powerful and dynamic scripting language developed by Roku for developing applications on the Roku streaming platform. It is designed to be easy to use, allowing developers to create robust and complex applications with high performance. BrightScript supports a wide range of features such as associative arrays, exception handling, and object-oriented programming. It also includes built-in functions for handling tasks like string manipulation, mathematical computations, and file I/O operations. The language also offers a component library for creating user interfaces on Roku devices.

First 20 minutes

General BrightScript. 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.

Describe the difference between an associative array and a roArray in BrightScript.

An associative array in BrightScript is similar to a dictionary in other languages, where each value is associated with a unique key. On the other hand, a roArray is a simple array that stores a list of values in a specific order.

What is the purpose of the 'm.' prefix in BrightScript?

The 'm.' prefix is used to declare member variables in BrightScript. It helps to differentiate between local and member variables.

How would you declare a variable in BrightScript?

In BrightScript, you can declare a variable using the 'm.' prefix followed by the variable name. For example, 'm.myVariable'.

What are the basic data types in BrightScript?

BrightScript supports several data types including Integer, Float, Boolean, String, Object, Invalid, and Interface.

How would you describe BrightScript in your own words?

BrightScript is a powerful scripting language that is primarily used for developing applications on the Roku platform. It is event-driven and highly optimized for embedded systems.

The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate show good problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving is a key skill for any developer. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their ability to solve complex problems using BrightScript.

How well does the candidate understand and apply software development principles and practices?

Understanding and applying good software development principles is crucial for writing maintainable and efficient code.

How familiar is the candidate with Roku's SceneGraph framework?

BrightScript is often used with Roku's SceneGraph. The candidate's familiarity with this framework can be a good indicator of their ability to build Roku applications.

How comfortable is the candidate with debugging BrightScript applications?

Debugging is a crucial part of development. A proficient BrightScript developer should be comfortable with debugging tools and techniques.

Can the candidate provide examples of projects or tasks where they have used BrightScript?

This helps to understand the practical experience they have with BrightScript. It can also give insight into how they apply their skills in real-world situations.

Does the candidate show a solid understanding of BrightScript language?

BrightScript is a key requirement for the role. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their proficiency and understanding of the language.

Next 20 minutes

Specific BrightScript. 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 purpose of the 'return' keyword in BrightScript?

The 'return' keyword is used in a function to specify the value that should be returned to the caller.

Describe the difference between a function and a subroutine in BrightScript.

A function in BrightScript can return a value, while a subroutine cannot. Both can be used to encapsulate code that can be reused throughout the program.

How would you create a function in BrightScript?

In BrightScript, you can create a function using the 'function' keyword followed by the function name and parameters. For example, 'function myFunction(param1, param2)'.

What are the different types of loops available in BrightScript?

BrightScript supports several types of loops including 'for', 'for each', and 'while'.

How would you handle errors in BrightScript?

BrightScript provides a 'try/catch' block to handle errors. Any code that might throw an error is placed inside the 'try' block, and if an error occurs, the code inside the 'catch' block is executed.

The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this point, a skilled BrightScript engineer should demonstrate proficiency in BrightScript language, experience with Roku platform development, and problem-solving skills. Red flags include lack of examples of past work, inability to articulate complex concepts or solutions, or lack of familiarity with common development practices and tools.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following BrightScript code do?

sub main()
  print "Hello, World!"
end sub

This code prints the string 'Hello, World!' to the console.

What will be the output of the following BrightScript code?

sub main()
  name = "John"
  age = 30
  print "My name is " + name + " and I am " + Str(age) + " years old."
end sub

The output will be 'My name is John and I am 30 years old.'

What does the following BrightScript code do?

sub main()
  myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  myArray.Push(6)
  print myArray
end sub

This code creates an array with five elements, adds a sixth element to the end of the array, and then prints the array.

What does the following BrightScript code do?

sub main()
  myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  for each item in myArray
    print item
  end for
end sub

This code creates an array and then prints each element in the array one at a time.

What does the following BrightScript code do?

function newAnimal(name as string, age as integer) as object
  animal = {
    "name": name,
    "age": age
  }
  return animal
end function

This code defines a function that creates a new animal object with the specified name and age, and then returns the object.

What will be the output of the following BrightScript code?

sub main()
  myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  myArray = myArray.Filter(function(num as integer) as boolean
    return num mod 2 = 0
  end function)
  print myArray
end sub

The output will be an array containing all the even numbers from the original array, i.e., [2, 4].

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for BrightScript. role questions

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

How would you debug a BrightScript application?

BrightScript provides a debug console that can be accessed via telnet. You can use the 'print' statement to output information to the console, and the 'stop' statement to pause execution and enter debug mode.

Describe the difference between global and local variables in BrightScript.

Global variables in BrightScript are accessible from anywhere in the program, while local variables are only accessible within the function or subroutine where they are declared.

How would you create a custom component in BrightScript?

You can create a custom component in BrightScript by extending an existing component. This is done using the 'extends' keyword followed by the name of the component you want to extend.

What are the different types of components available in BrightScript?

BrightScript provides several built-in components including roArray, roAssociativeArray, roDateTime, roFileSystem, roInt, roFloat, roString, and many more.

How would you use conditional statements in BrightScript?

BrightScript supports 'if', 'else if', and 'else' conditional statements. These can be used to execute different blocks of code based on certain conditions.

The hiring guide has been successfully sent to your email address.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

BrightScript. application related

Product Perfect's BrightScript. development capabilities

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