Curl Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for Curl Engineers

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

Curl is a reflective object-oriented programming language developed in the late 1980s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was designed for interactive web content and applications, combining text markup, scripting, and heavy-duty computing in one unified framework. The Curl language was pioneering in its ability to handle complex web applications with high performance. Over time, it has been maintained by Curl Corporation, which was acquired by SCSK Corporation in 2009. Despite its innovative features, it has not achieved widespread adoption compared to other web technologies like HTML or JavaScript.

First 20 minutes

General Curl 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.

How would you use Curl to download a file?

You can use the -O or --remote-name option to download a file with Curl. For example: 'curl -O https://example.com/file.txt'.

What does the -H option do in Curl?

The -H or --header option in Curl allows you to pass extra headers to the server when sending a request.

How would you use Curl to send a POST request with JSON data?

You can use the following command: 'curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"key":"value"}' https://api.example.com'. This sends a POST request with JSON data to the specified URL.

What is the purpose of the -d option in Curl?

The -d or --data option in Curl sends the specified data in a POST request to the server.

How would you use Curl to send a GET request?

You can use the following command to send a GET request with Curl: 'curl https://api.example.com'. This will retrieve the content from the specified URL.

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What youre looking for early-on

Has the candidate shown the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines?

This is important because development projects often have tight deadlines, and the candidate should be able to handle the pressure and deliver on time.

Does the candidate have good communication skills?

Good communication is essential for understanding project requirements, working in a team, and explaining complex technical terms in simple language.

Have they worked on any projects using Curl in the past?

Having practical experience with Curl will give the candidate a better understanding of how to use the language in real-world scenarios.

Does the candidate show a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies?

The field of technology is ever-evolving. The candidate should be open to learning new things and adapting to changes.

Is the candidate able to think logically and solve problems?

This is crucial because programming often involves problem-solving and requires logical thinking to develop efficient codes.

Has the candidate demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of Curl programming?

This is important because it is the primary skill required for the job. They should be able to show a good understanding of the core concepts, syntax, and functionalities of Curl.

Next 20 minutes

Specific Curl 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 does the -v or --verbose option do in Curl?

The -v or --verbose option makes the operation more talkative. It outputs additional information for debugging purposes.

How would you use Curl to follow a redirect?

You can use the -L or --location option to follow redirects. For example: 'curl -L https://example.com'.

What is the purpose of the -k or --insecure option in Curl?

The -k or --insecure option allows Curl to proceed and operate even for server connections otherwise considered insecure. It allows connections to SSL sites without certificates.

How would you use Curl to send a request to a server that uses HTTP Basic Auth?

You can use the -u or --user option to send a request to a server that uses HTTP Basic Auth. For example: 'curl -u username:password https://api.example.com'.

What is the difference between the -I and -i options in Curl?

The -I or --head option fetches the HTTP headers from a server, while the -i or --include option includes the HTTP headers in the output.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled Curl engineer should demonstrate a deep understanding of the Curl language, troubleshooting abilities, and experience in scripting and automation. Red flags include lack of knowledge about Curl's interaction with APIs, inability to solve problems or articulate complex technical concepts clearly.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X GET https://api.example.com/users

This command sends a GET request to the 'https://api.example.com/users' URL. It retrieves the list of users from the specified endpoint.

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' -d '{"username":"test","password":"test"}' https://api.example.com/login

This command sends a POST request to the 'https://api.example.com/login' URL with a JSON body containing a username and password. It is used to log in to the specified endpoint.

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X DELETE https://api.example.com/users/123

This command sends a DELETE request to the 'https://api.example.com/users/123' URL. It is used to delete the user with the ID 123 from the specified endpoint.

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X PUT -H 'Content-type: application/json' -d '{"username":"newuser"}' https://api.example.com/users/123

This command sends a PUT request to the 'https://api.example.com/users/123' URL with a JSON body containing a new username. It is used to update the username of the user with the ID 123 at the specified endpoint.

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X PATCH -H 'Content-type: application/json' -d '{"password":"newpass"}' https://api.example.com/users/123

This command sends a PATCH request to the 'https://api.example.com/users/123' URL with a JSON body containing a new password. It is used to update the password of the user with the ID 123 at the specified endpoint.

What does the following Curl command do?

curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' -d '{"username":"test","password":"test"}' -c cookies.txt https://api.example.com/login

This command sends a POST request to the 'https://api.example.com/login' URL with a JSON body containing a username and password. It also saves the cookies received in the response to a file named 'cookies.txt'. This is typically used for maintaining a user session.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Curl role questions

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

How would you use Curl to send a request with a custom HTTP method?

You can use the -X or --request option followed by the custom method. For example: 'curl -X PROPFIND https://api.example.com'. This sends a request with the PROPFIND method.

What is the purpose of the --limit-rate option in Curl?

The --limit-rate option limits the speed of the data transfer. It can be useful in testing or when you don't want Curl to consume too much bandwidth.

How would you use Curl to send a DELETE request?

You can use the -X or --request option followed by DELETE to send a DELETE request. For example: 'curl -X DELETE https://api.example.com/resource'.

Describe the difference between the --cookie and --cookie-jar options in Curl.

The --cookie option sends cookies to the server, while the --cookie-jar option saves cookies after a request.

How would you use Curl to send a PUT request?

You can use the -X or --request option followed by PUT to send a PUT request. For example: 'curl -X PUT -d 'data' https://api.example.com'.

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Curl application related

Product Perfect's Curl development capabilities

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