D Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for D Engineers

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

**D**, also known as **D**, is a general-purpose programming language with static typing, designed by Walter Bright. It was first released in 1999 and is currently developed by Digital Mars. **D** is a descendant of the C++ programming language, but it has a number of features that make it more modern and efficient. These include a garbage collector, a type system that supports generics, and a module system that makes it easy to organize code. **D** is used for a variety of applications, including systems programming, embedded systems, and graphics. **Sources:** * [D Programming Language](https://dlang.org/) * [D Programming Language Wikipedia Page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_(programming_language))

First 20 minutes

General D 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 create an array in D?

You can create an array in D by specifying the type followed by the variable name and square brackets. For example, 'int[] arr;' creates an integer array named arr.

What is the use of 'auto' keyword in D?

The 'auto' keyword in D is used for type inference. It allows the compiler to automatically determine the type of the variable at compile time.

How would you define a function in D?

A function in D is defined by specifying the return type, followed by the function name, parentheses for parameters, and then the function body enclosed in curly braces. For example, 'int add(int x, int y) { return x + y; }' defines a function that adds two integers.

What are the basic data types in D?

The basic data types in D include int, float, double, bool, char, wchar, dchar, and void.

How would you declare a variable in D?

You can declare a variable in D by specifying the type followed by the variable name. For example, 'int x;' declares an integer variable named x.

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What youre looking for early-on

Have they provided examples of past projects or experiences that show their skills and knowledge?

This can give you insight into their practical experience and ability to apply their skills in real-world situations.

Has the candidate demonstrated the ability to learn and adapt?

The tech industry is always evolving, so it's important for developers to be able to learn new technologies quickly.

Has the candidate shown they can work well in a team?

Software development often involves working in teams, so good teamwork skills are essential.

Do they show a strong grasp of data structures and algorithms?

These are fundamental concepts in programming and are necessary for writing efficient code.

Have they demonstrated problem-solving skills during the interview?

This is important as programming often involves finding and fixing bugs in code.

Does the candidate have a good understanding of the D programming language?

This is crucial as the job role requires proficiency in D programming language.

Next 20 minutes

Specific D 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 create a class in D?

A class in D is created using the 'class' keyword followed by the class name and the class body enclosed in curly braces. For example, 'class MyClass { }' creates a class named MyClass.

What is the purpose of 'immutable' keyword in D?

The 'immutable' keyword in D is used to declare that a variable's value cannot be changed after it is initialized. This is useful for creating constants and for thread safety.

How would you handle exceptions in D?

Exceptions in D are handled using try-catch blocks. The 'try' block contains the code that might throw an exception, and the 'catch' block contains the code to execute if an exception is thrown.

Describe the difference between static and dynamic arrays in D.

Static arrays in D have a fixed size that is known at compile time, while dynamic arrays can change their size at runtime. Static arrays are allocated on the stack, while dynamic arrays are allocated on the heap.

What are associative arrays in D?

Associative arrays in D are a form of array that can be indexed not only with numbers, but also with any other type. They are similar to hash tables in other languages.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this point, a skilled D engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, in-depth knowledge of D language, and experience with system-level programming. Red flags include lack of confidence in coding, poor communication skills, and inability to explain complex concepts clearly.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does this simple D code do?

import std.stdio;

void main() {
    writeln('Hello, World!');
}

This code prints 'Hello, World!' to the standard output.

What will be the output of this D code?

import std.stdio;

void main() {
    int a = 5;
    int b = 10;
    writeln(a + b);
}

This code will output '15' to the standard output.

What does this D code do?

import std.stdio, std.array;

void main() {
    int[] arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
    arr = arr.reverse.array;
    writeln(arr);
}

This code reverses the order of the elements in the array 'arr' and then prints the reversed array.

What does this D code do?

import std.stdio, std.concurrency;

void main() {
    spawn(&printer, 'Hello, World!');
}

void printer(string text) {
    writeln(text);
}

This code creates a new thread and runs the 'printer' function in that thread, passing 'Hello, World!' as an argument to the function.

What does this D code do?

import std.stdio;

class MyClass {
    int x;
    this(int x) {
        this.x = x;
    }
}

void main() {
    MyClass obj = new MyClass(5);
    writeln(obj.x);
}

This code defines a class 'MyClass' with a constructor that takes an integer. In the main function, it creates an instance of 'MyClass', passing '5' to the constructor, and then prints the value of 'x' in the object.

What will be the output of this D code?

import std.stdio, std.algorithm;

void main() {
    int[] arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
    int[] arr2 = arr.map!(a => a * 2).array;
    writeln(arr2);
}

This code multiplies each element in the array 'arr' by 2, stores the result in a new array 'arr2', and then prints 'arr2'. The output will be '[2, 4, 6, 8, 10]'.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for D role questions

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

How would you implement multithreading in D?

Multithreading in D can be implemented using the 'std.concurrency' module. This module provides functions for creating and managing threads, as well as for synchronizing access to shared resources.

What is the purpose of 'scope' keyword in D?

The 'scope' keyword in D is used to control the lifetime of objects. It can be used to ensure that an object is destroyed as soon as it goes out of scope, which can help prevent memory leaks.

How would you implement inheritance in D?

Inheritance in D is implemented using the ':' operator. For example, 'class Child : Parent { }' creates a class named Child that inherits from the Parent class.

Describe the difference between structs and classes in D.

The main difference between structs and classes in D is that structs are value types and classes are reference types. This means that when a struct is assigned to a new variable or passed to a function, a copy of the value is made. But when a class is assigned to a new variable or passed to a function, a reference to the original object is used.

What are templates in D?

Templates in D are a way to write generic code that can work with different data types. They are similar to templates in C++ and generics in Java.

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D application related

Product Perfect's D development capabilities

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