CoffeeScript Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for CoffeeScript Engineers

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

CoffeeScript is a programming language that compiles into JavaScript, conceived by Jeremy Ashkenas in 2009. It adds syntactic sugar inspired by Ruby, Python and Haskell to enhance JavaScript's brevity and readability. The language has been popular for web development due to its close relationship with JavaScript - one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web. CoffeeScript also influenced the development of later languages like TypeScript and Dart. Its source code was made available on GitHub, fostering an active community around it.

First 20 minutes

General CoffeeScript 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 the 'fat arrow' (=>) in CoffeeScript and how does it differ from the 'thin arrow' (->)?

In CoffeeScript, the 'fat arrow' (=>) is used to define a function that is bound to the current value of 'this', while the 'thin arrow' (->) defines a function without binding 'this'. This is useful when working with callbacks or event handlers where the context is important.

How would you handle exceptions in CoffeeScript?

Exceptions in CoffeeScript can be handled using the 'try/catch/finally' blocks, similar to JavaScript. The syntax is 'try expression catch error then expression'.

What are the advantages of using CoffeeScript over JavaScript?

CoffeeScript has a more readable and succinct syntax, it has additional features not present in JavaScript like array comprehensions and destructuring assignment, and it helps to write safer JavaScript by preventing common mistakes.

How would you compile a CoffeeScript file into JavaScript?

You can compile a CoffeeScript file into JavaScript using the CoffeeScript compiler. The command is 'coffee --compile filename.coffee'. This will create a filename.js file with the compiled JavaScript.

What are the differences between CoffeeScript and JavaScript?

CoffeeScript is a programming language that transcompiles to JavaScript. The main differences are: CoffeeScript has a cleaner syntax, it removes the need for semicolons and parentheses, it supports string interpolation, it has a safer scope handling with the use of 'do', and it has a more comprehensive loop and comprehension syntax.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate communicate effectively about their process and solutions?

Communication is key in any role, but especially in a developer role where the candidate will need to explain their process and solutions to others.

Has the candidate shown an ability to learn and adapt?

Technology is always changing, so it's important that the candidate is able to learn and adapt to new technologies and changes in CoffeeScript.

Does the candidate understand how to use CoffeeScript in conjunction with other technologies?

CoffeeScript is often used alongside other technologies, so it's important that the candidate understands how to use it in conjunction with others.

Can the candidate solve problems using CoffeeScript?

Being able to solve problems using CoffeeScript is crucial. This shows that the candidate can apply their knowledge of the language to real-world scenarios.

Has the candidate demonstrated experience with using CoffeeScript in a professional setting?

Experience is key in any role, and a candidate who has used CoffeeScript in a professional setting will likely be able to hit the ground running.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of CoffeeScript syntax and structure?

This is important because it's the foundation of writing code in CoffeeScript. Without a strong understanding of the language's syntax and structure, the candidate will struggle to write effective and efficient code.

Next 20 minutes

Specific CoffeeScript 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 use mixins in CoffeeScript?

Mixins in CoffeeScript can be implemented by extending the prototype of a class with the properties and methods of another object. The 'extend' function from Underscore.js or jQuery can be used for this purpose.

Describe the difference between '==', '===', 'is' and 'isnt' operators in CoffeeScript.

In CoffeeScript, '==' and '===' are replaced by 'is'. It checks for equality including type. '!=' and '!==' are replaced by 'isnt'. It checks for inequality. CoffeeScript does not have '==' and '===' operators.

How would you create a private method in a CoffeeScript class?

In CoffeeScript, all methods are public by default. To create a private method, you can define it outside the class and then call it from within the class.

What is the use of the '@' symbol in CoffeeScript?

In CoffeeScript, the '@' symbol is a shorthand for 'this.'. It is used to refer to the current object. It can also be used in the constructor to automatically create instance variables.

How would you create a class in CoffeeScript?

In CoffeeScript, you can create a class using the 'class' keyword, followed by the name of the class. You can also define a constructor using the 'constructor' keyword. For example, 'class MyClass constructor: (@name) ->'.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled CoffeeScript engineer should demonstrate proficiency in JavaScript as CoffeeScript is a JavaScript transcompiler. They should understand functional programming concepts, and have experience with web development frameworks. Red flags include inability to explain code compilation or lack of understanding of JavaScript nuances.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following CoffeeScript code do?

`x = 10`

This code declares a variable named 'x' and assigns it the value 10.

What will be the output of the following CoffeeScript code?

`a = 5
b = 10
console.log a + b`

The output will be 15. This code declares two variables 'a' and 'b', assigns them the values 5 and 10 respectively, and then prints the sum of 'a' and 'b'.

What does the following CoffeeScript code do?

`arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
newArr = (num for num in arr when num % 2 == 0)`

This code creates a new array 'newArr' that contains only the even numbers from the original array 'arr'.

What will be the output of the following CoffeeScript code?

`doSomething = () ->
  setTimeout (-> console.log 'Hello'), 1000
console.log 'Goodbye'
doSomething()`

The output will be 'Goodbye' followed by 'Hello' after a delay of one second. The 'doSomething' function uses a setTimeout to delay the console.log 'Hello' by 1000 milliseconds.

What does the following CoffeeScript code do?

`class Animal
  constructor: (@name) ->

class Dog extends Animal
  bark: ->
    console.log @name + ' barks!'`

This code defines a class 'Animal' with a constructor that takes a 'name' parameter. It then defines a class 'Dog' that extends 'Animal' and adds a 'bark' method which logs a message to the console.

What will be the output of the following CoffeeScript code?

`square = (x) -> x * x
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
squares = numbers.map square
console.log squares`

The output will be '[1, 4, 9, 16, 25]'. This code defines a function 'square' that squares a number, creates an array 'numbers', maps the 'square' function over 'numbers' to create a new array 'squares', and then logs 'squares' to the console.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for CoffeeScript role questions

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

What are the best practices for error handling in CoffeeScript?

Some of the best practices for error handling in CoffeeScript are: use 'try/catch/finally' blocks to handle exceptions, always check for existence before accessing properties or calling methods on an object, use the 'safe navigation operator' (?.) to avoid TypeError, and use the 'existential operator' (?) to check if a variable is null or undefined.

How would you implement inheritance in CoffeeScript?

Inheritance in CoffeeScript can be implemented using the 'extends' keyword. For example, 'class Child extends Parent'. This will make Child inherit all the properties and methods of Parent.

Describe the difference between 'let' and 'var' in CoffeeScript.

CoffeeScript does not have 'let' and 'var'. Instead, it uses the '=' operator to declare variables. The scope of the variable is determined by the indentation level.

How would you use the 'splats' (...) operator in CoffeeScript?

The 'splats' operator in CoffeeScript is used to handle function arguments that can be of any number. It can be used in function definition, function invocation, array literals and destructuring assignment.

What is the purpose of the 'do' keyword in CoffeeScript?

The 'do' keyword in CoffeeScript is used to immediately invoke a function. It can also be used to create a new scope, which is useful to capture the current value of a variable in a loop.

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CoffeeScript application related

Product Perfect's CoffeeScript development capabilities

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