Clarion (programming language) Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for Clarion (programming language) Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right Clarion (programming language) talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

Clarion is a commercial, proprietary, 4GL (fourth-generation programming language) developed by SoftVelocity. It is used to create database applications and includes an IDE (integrated development environment) with a compiler, debugger, and templates for generating code. Clarion has its own programming language but also supports both procedural and object-oriented programming. Its primary strength lies in its ability to generate Windows-based applications from templates with no coding required. This makes it a suitable choice for developers who need to quickly build complex database applications.

First 20 minutes

General Clarion (programming language) 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 difference between a GROUP and a RECORD in Clarion?

In Clarion, a GROUP is a collection of variables that can be of different data types, while a RECORD is a collection of fields that are usually of the same data type.

How would you create a procedure in Clarion?

In Clarion, you create a procedure using the PROCEDURE keyword followed by the procedure name. For example, PROCEDURE MyProcedure.

What is the purpose of the INCLUDE directive in Clarion?

The INCLUDE directive in Clarion is used to include a file in the program. It's similar to the #include directive in C/C++.

How would you declare a variable in Clarion?

In Clarion, you declare a variable by specifying the data type followed by the variable name. For example, LONG MyVariable.

What are the basic data types in Clarion?

The basic data types in Clarion include BYTE, SHORT, USHORT, LONG, ULONG, REAL, SREAL, DECIMAL, SDECIMAL, DATE, TIME, STRING, PSTRING, GROUP, and RECORD.

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What youre looking for early-on

Is the candidate able to work under pressure and meet deadlines?

The ability to handle pressure and meet deadlines is crucial in a fast-paced work environment. The candidate should be able to manage their time effectively and deliver work on schedule.

Does the candidate have good communication skills?

Communication skills are important for understanding project requirements, collaborating with team members, and explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Can the candidate adapt to new technologies and programming languages?

Adaptability is key in the ever-evolving field of programming. The candidate should be open to learning and working with new technologies as required.

Is the candidate able to solve problems and debug in Clarion?

Problem-solving skills are crucial for any programming role. The candidate should be able to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve issues in Clarion.

Has the candidate worked on any projects using Clarion?

Previous experience in working on Clarion projects is a good indicator of the candidate's ability to apply their knowledge in a practical setting.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of the Clarion programming language?

This is important because the job role requires a deep knowledge of Clarion. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their proficiency in the language.

Next 20 minutes

Specific Clarion (programming language) 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 write data to a file in Clarion?

In Clarion, you can write data to a file using the PUT directive. For example, PUT(File, Record) would write a record to the specified file.

What is the difference between the OPEN and USE directives in Clarion?

In Clarion, the OPEN directive is used to open a file for input/output, while the USE directive is used to declare a file and its structure.

How would you read data from a file in Clarion?

In Clarion, you can read data from a file using the GET directive. For example, GET(File, Record) would read a record from the specified file.

What are the different looping structures in Clarion?

Clarion supports several looping structures including LOOP...END, WHILE...END, DO...UNTIL, and FOR...END.

How would you handle errors in Clarion?

In Clarion, you can handle errors using the ERROR directive. You can also use the SYSTEM built-in variable to check for system errors.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the Clarion (programming language) engineer at this point.

A proficient Clarion engineer should display excellent problem-solving skills, deep knowledge of the Clarion language and related database technologies, and strong communication abilities. Red flags include inability to explain complex concepts simply or lack of experience in real-world application development using Clarion.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with Clarion (programming language).

What does the following simple Clarion code do?

PROGRAM
INCLUDE('windows.inc')
MAP
INCLUDE('windows.inc')
END
CODE
MESSAGE('Hello, World!', 'Clarion Message', ICON:Information + BUTTON:Ok)

This code displays a message box with the text 'Hello, World!' and the title 'Clarion Message'. It uses the MESSAGE built-in procedure which is a part of the Windows API.

What does the following Clarion code do?

MyString STRING(20)
CODE
MyString = 'Hello, Clarion!'
DISPLAY(MyString)

This code declares a string variable 'MyString' with a length of 20 characters, assigns the value 'Hello, Clarion!' to it, and then displays this string on the screen.

What will be the output of the following Clarion code that manipulates an array?

MyArray ARRAY[3] OF STRING(10)
CODE
MyArray[1] = 'One'
MyArray[2] = 'Two'
MyArray[3] = 'Three'
DISPLAY(MyArray[1], MyArray[2], MyArray[3])

This code declares an array of strings 'MyArray' with 3 elements, assigns values to these elements, and then displays them. The output will be 'One Two Three'.

What does the following Clarion code do that is related to threading?

MyThread THREAD('MyProcedure')
CODE
START(MyThread)

This code declares a thread 'MyThread' that runs a procedure named 'MyProcedure', and then starts this thread.

What does the following Clarion code do that is related to class design?

MyClass CLASS
MyString STRING(20)
MyProcedure PROCEDURE
CODE
MyString = 'Hello, Clarion!'
DISPLAY(MyString)
END
END

This code declares a class 'MyClass' with a string property 'MyString' and a procedure 'MyProcedure'. The procedure assigns the value 'Hello, Clarion!' to 'MyString' and then displays it.

What will be the output of the following advanced Clarion code?

MyString STRING(20)
MyNumber LONG
CODE
MyString = '123'
MyNumber = VAL(MyString)
DISPLAY(MyNumber)

This code declares a string variable 'MyString' and a long integer 'MyNumber', assigns the string '123' to 'MyString', converts this string to a number using the VAL function, and then displays this number. The output will be '123'.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Clarion (programming language) role questions

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

What are the different types of data structures in Clarion?

Clarion supports several types of data structures including arrays, records, groups, queues, and lists.

How would you create a dynamic array in Clarion?

In Clarion, you can create a dynamic array using the DIM directive. For example, DIM MyArray[*] would create a dynamic array.

What is the difference between a procedure and a function in Clarion?

In Clarion, a procedure is a block of code that performs a specific task and does not return a value, while a function is a block of code that performs a specific task and returns a value.

How would you create a multi-dimensional array in Clarion?

In Clarion, you can create a multi-dimensional array by specifying the dimensions after the array name. For example, ARRAY[10,20] MyArray.

What are the different types of arrays in Clarion?

Clarion supports several types of arrays including one-dimensional arrays, multi-dimensional arrays, and dynamic arrays.

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Clarion (programming language) application related

Product Perfect's Clarion (programming language) development capabilities

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