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.

C is a high-level computer programming language developed in the early 1970s at Bell Labs by Dennis Ritchie. It was created to design the UNIX operating system, making it one of the first languages to be associated with system software. C's efficiency and flexibility have made it a pervasive language in application and system programming, influencing many subsequent languages such as C++, C#, and Objective-C. Its syntax serves as a common denominator for programmers worldwide due to its wide adoption in coding education. Despite being over five decades old, C remains relevant today due to its simplicity, efficiency, and versatility (source: "The Development of the C Language" by Dennis M. Ritchie).

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 is the purpose of a function in C--?

A function in C-- is a block of code that performs a specific task. Functions help in code reusability, modularity and can be called multiple times within a program.

How would you use a conditional statement in C--?

You can use a conditional statement in C-- with the 'if' keyword, followed by the condition in parentheses, and then the code block to execute if the condition is true in curly braces. For example: 'if (condition) { code block }'.

Describe the difference between '==' and '===' in C--.

In C--, '==' is an equality operator that compares the values of two operands. '===' is not a valid operator in C--.

What are the basic data types in C--?

The basic data types in C-- include int (integer), float (floating point number), double (double precision floating point number), char (character), and bool (boolean).

How would you declare a variable in C--?

You can declare a variable in C-- by specifying its type followed by the variable name. For instance, 'int myVariable;' declares an integer variable named myVariable.

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What youre looking for early-on

Has the candidate demonstrated the ability to work in a team?

Most development projects require team work. If they can work effectively in a team, it shows they will be a good fit for the company culture.

Does the candidate seem enthusiastic and passionate about programming in C--?

Enthusiasm can often indicate a willingness to keep up to date with the latest developments and a passion for their work, both of which are positive traits.

Has the candidate talked about their experience with debugging and optimizing C-- code?

These are important aspects of a developer's job. If they have experience and can discuss this confidently, it shows they have the skills necessary for the role.

Is the candidate able to explain complex concepts in simple terms?

This is important as it shows that they have a deep understanding of the subject matter and can communicate effectively with team members who may not be as technically proficient.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?

Problem-solving skills are key in development roles. If they can demonstrate this, it shows that they can tackle complex tasks and find solutions.

Does the candidate show a solid understanding of the C-- language?

This is crucial as the position requires a deep knowledge of C--. If they cannot demonstrate this, they may struggle with the tasks assigned to them.

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 recursion in C--?

Recursion in C-- is implemented by having a function call itself within its own definition. It's important to have a base case that will stop the recursion, otherwise it can lead to infinite loop or stack overflow.

Describe the difference between a stack and a heap in C--.

The stack is used for static memory allocation and the heap is used for dynamic memory allocation. Variables created on the stack will have their memory automatically deallocated when they go out of scope. Variables created on the heap must have their memory manually deallocated.

What are pointers in C-- and how would you use them?

Pointers in C-- are variables that hold memory addresses. They are used for dynamic memory allocation, function pointers, and data structures like trees and graph.

How would you handle exceptions in C--?

C-- does not support exception handling in the same way as some other languages. Error handling in C-- is usually done through return codes, where the function returns a specific value to indicate an error.

Describe the difference between a local variable and a global variable in C--.

A local variable is declared within a function and can only be accessed within that function. A global variable is declared outside all functions and can be accessed by any function within the program.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this point, the candidate should demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, in-depth knowledge of C-- programming, and good communication skills. Red flags include lack of experience with coding tests, inability to explain complex concepts clearly, or any signs of dishonesty about their skills or experience.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does this simple C-- code do?

int main() { int a = 5; int b = 10; int c = a + b; return 0; }

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

What will be the output of this C-- code?

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

The output of this code will be '15'. It adds the values of 'a' and 'b' and prints the result.

What does this C-- code do with the array?

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 declares an array of 5 integers, assigns values to it, then uses a for loop to print each value in the array.

What does this C-- code do related to threading?

int main() { pthread_t thread1, thread2; pthread_create(&thread1, NULL, printHello, NULL); pthread_create(&thread2, NULL, printWorld, NULL); pthread_join(thread1, NULL); pthread_join(thread2, NULL); return 0; }

This code creates two threads, 'thread1' and 'thread2'. It then starts both threads, with 'thread1' executing the 'printHello' function and 'thread2' executing the 'printWorld' function. The main thread then waits for both 'thread1' and 'thread2' to finish execution before it itself finishes execution.

What does this C-- code do related to class design?

class Rectangle { int width, height; public: void set_values (int,int); int area() {return width*height;} }; int main () { Rectangle rect; rect.set_values (3,4); cout << rect.area(); return 0; }

This code defines a class 'Rectangle' with two private member variables 'width' and 'height', and two public member functions 'set_values' and 'area'. In the 'main' function, an object 'rect' of class 'Rectangle' is created, the 'set_values' function is called to set the 'width' and 'height' of 'rect', and then the 'area' function is called to calculate and print the area of 'rect'.

What will be the output of this advanced C-- code?

int main() { int a = 5; int b = 10; int *p = &a; int **pp = &p; *p = b; **pp = a; printf('%d', a); return 0; }

The output of this code will be '5'. It declares two integer variables 'a' and 'b', a pointer 'p' that points to 'a', and a pointer 'pp' that points to 'p'. It then changes the value of 'a' through 'p' and 'pp'.

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 structure and a union in C--.

The main difference between a structure and a union in C-- is the way they use memory. A structure allocates separate memory for each of its members, while a union uses the same memory location for all its members.

What is the purpose of a structure in C--?

A structure in C-- is a user-defined data type that allows to combine data items of different kinds. Structures are used to represent a record, making it easier to manage complex data.

How would you use a pointer to a function in C--?

A pointer to a function in C-- is a variable that holds the memory address of a function. It can be used to call the function it points to or to pass the function as a parameter to another function.

Describe the difference between pass by value and pass by reference in C--.

In pass by value, a copy of the variable is passed to the function, changes made in the function do not affect the original variable. In pass by reference, a reference to the actual variable is passed to the function, changes made in the function will affect the original variable.

What are the different types of loops in C--?

C-- supports several types of loops including 'for', 'while', and 'do while'. Each loop type has a specific use case depending on the needs of the program.

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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.