C Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for C Engineers

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

The C programming language is a high-level, general-purpose coding language first developed at Bell Labs in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie. It has since become one of the most widely used programming languages, providing the foundation for other languages such as C++, C#, and Objective-C. Its popularity stems from its efficiency and flexibility, as it can be used for a variety of tasks including systems software, game development, and web applications. The UNIX operating system was notably written in C. As per IEEE Spectrum's annual rankings (2021), it remains one of the top programming languages due to its relevance and adaptability.

First 20 minutes

General C 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 different types of loops in C?

The different types of loops in C are the for loop, the while loop, and the do-while loop.

How would you use a function pointer in C?

A function pointer in C can be used to call a function or to pass a function as a parameter. It is declared like a normal pointer, but with a function signature.

Describe the difference between a struct and a union in C.

The main difference between a struct and a union in C is that a struct allows for multiple members to be stored at the same time, while a union only allows for one member to be stored at a time.

What are the different types of storage classes in C?

The different types of storage classes in C are auto, register, static, and extern.

How would you declare a pointer in C?

To declare a pointer in C, you would use the following syntax: 'type *pointerName;'. For example, 'int *p;' declares a pointer to an integer.

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What youre looking for early-on

Has the candidate displayed familiarity with debugging and testing in C?

Debugging and testing are crucial parts of the development process. The candidate should be able to identify and fix issues in their code, and write tests to ensure their code works as expected.

Does the candidate show an understanding of how to write efficient and optimized code in C?

Efficiency and optimization are important in C programming. The candidate should be able to write code that performs well and uses resources efficiently.

Has the candidate demonstrated knowledge of memory management in C?

Memory management is a critical aspect of C programming. The candidate should understand how to allocate and deallocate memory, and how to avoid memory leaks.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively about technical concepts?

This is key as the candidate will need to be able to explain their code, discuss problems and solutions with colleagues, and potentially communicate with clients or stakeholders.

Has the candidate shown proficiency in problem-solving?

This is important because coding is essentially problem-solving. The candidate needs to demonstrate that they can think logically and systematically to find solutions.

Does the candidate demonstrate a solid understanding of C language fundamentals?

This is crucial as it is the foundation upon which all other skills are built. Without a strong understanding of the basics, the candidate will struggle with more complex tasks.

Next 20 minutes

Specific C 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 a stack in C?

A stack in C can be implemented using an array or a linked list. The stack has two main operations: push, which adds an element to the top of the stack, and pop, which removes an element from the top of the stack.

Describe the difference between a linked list and an array in C.

The main difference between a linked list and an array in C is that an array is a static data structure, while a linked list is a dynamic data structure.

What are the different types of operators in C?

The different types of operators in C are arithmetic operators, relational operators, logical operators, bitwise operators, assignment operators, and special operators.

How would you handle errors in C?

Errors in C can be handled using various techniques such as returning special values, setting a global error code, or using exceptions with setjmp and longjmp functions.

Describe the difference between malloc() and calloc() in C.

The main difference between malloc() and calloc() in C is that malloc() allocates a block of memory without initializing it, while calloc() allocates a block of memory and initializes it to zero.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled C engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, deep understanding of data structures and algorithms, and proficiency in memory management. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to explain complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with debugging and optimization techniques.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following code do?

#include 

int main() {
    printf("Hello, World!\n");
    return 0;
}

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

What does the following code do?

#include 

int main() {
    int a = 5;
    int b = 10;
    int c = a + b;
    printf("%d", c);
    return 0;
}

This code declares two integer variables 'a' and 'b', assigns them the values 5 and 10 respectively, adds them together, assigns the result to a third integer variable 'c', and then prints the value of 'c', which is 15.

What will be the output of the following code?

#include 

int main() {
    int arr[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        printf("%d ", arr[i]);
    }
    return 0;
}

This code will print the numbers 1 to 5, each followed by a space.

What does the following code do?

#include 
#include 

void *printHello(void *threadid) {
    printf("Hello from thread %d\n", threadid);
    pthread_exit(NULL);
}

int main() {
    pthread_t thread;
    int rc = pthread_create(&thread, NULL, printHello, (void *)1);
    if (rc) {
        printf("Error:unable to create thread, %d\n", rc);
        exit(-1);
    }
    pthread_exit(NULL);
    return 0;
}

This code creates a new thread and runs the 'printHello' function in that thread. The function prints a message that includes the thread ID, which is passed as an argument when the thread is created.

What does the following code do?

#include 

struct Person {
    char name[50];
    int age;
};

int main() {
    struct Person person;
    strcpy(person.name, "John");
    person.age = 30;
    printf("%s is %d years old.", person.name, person.age);
    return 0;
}

This code defines a structure 'Person' with two members: a string 'name' and an integer 'age'. It then creates an instance of 'Person', assigns values to its members, and prints a message that includes these values.

What will be the output of the following code?

#include 

int main() {
    int a = 5;
    int b = 10;
    int *p1 = &a;
    int *p2 = &b;
    *p1 = *p2;
    printf("a = %d, b = %d", a, b);
    return 0;
}

This code will print 'a = 10, b = 10'. It creates two pointers 'p1' and 'p2' that point to 'a' and 'b' respectively, then assigns the value at the address 'p2' points to (which is 'b') to the address 'p1' points to (which is 'a').

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for C role questions

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

Describe the difference between a macro and a function in C.

The main difference between a macro and a function in C is that a macro is expanded by the preprocessor before the program is compiled, while a function is compiled and then executed during the runtime of the program.

What are the different types of memory allocation in C?

The different types of memory allocation in C are static memory allocation, dynamic memory allocation, and automatic memory allocation.

How would you implement recursion in C?

Recursion in C can be implemented by having a function call itself within its own definition. The base case is the condition that stops the recursion.

Describe the difference between a preprocessor directive and a function in C.

The main difference between a preprocessor directive and a function in C is that a preprocessor directive is processed before the compilation of the program, while a function is processed during the execution of the program.

What are the different types of file operations in C?

The different types of file operations in C are file open, file read, file write, and file close.

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C application related

Product Perfect's C development capabilities

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