FoxPro Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for FoxPro Engineers

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

FoxPro is a data-centric procedural programming language developed by Fox Software in the mid-1980s, later acquired by Microsoft in 1992. It is renowned for its database management capabilities, particularly for the DOS and Windows platforms. The language is object-oriented and provides powerful data handling functions, making it ideal for business applications. FoxPro was eventually replaced by Visual FoxPro in 2004, which was then discontinued by Microsoft in 2007. Despite its discontinuation, it remains popular among developers due to its robustness and efficiency in managing large databases.

First 20 minutes

General FoxPro 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 are the different types of indexes in FoxPro?

FoxPro supports three types of indexes: Regular index, Compound index, and Candidate index.

How would you handle errors in FoxPro?

FoxPro provides ON ERROR command to handle errors. You can specify a command or a procedure that will be executed when an error occurs.

Describe the difference between a Form and a Report in FoxPro.

A Form is a graphical interface used for interaction with the user while a Report is a formatted and organized presentation of data.

What are the data types supported by FoxPro?

FoxPro supports various data types such as Character, Numeric, Float, Date, Logical, Memo, General, and Binary.

How would you create a new database in FoxPro?

You can create a new database in FoxPro using the CREATE DATABASE command followed by the name of the database.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have good communication skills?

Effective communication is important in any role, but especially so in development where they may need to explain complex concepts to non-technical colleagues.

Has the candidate shown the ability to learn new technologies quickly?

The tech field is constantly evolving, so it's crucial that the candidate is adaptable and can pick up new skills as needed.

Is the candidate comfortable working in a team environment?

Software development often requires collaboration, so it's important that the candidate can work well in a team.

Has the candidate shown experience with database management?

FoxPro is a database management system, so experience in this area is a key indicator of potential success in the role.

Has the candidate demonstrated the ability to solve complex problems?

Problem-solving skills are important for developers as they will often need to troubleshoot and fix issues.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of FoxPro language?

This is crucial as the candidate needs to be proficient in FoxPro to be able to perform the job effectively.

Next 20 minutes

Specific FoxPro 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 optimize performance in FoxPro?

Performance in FoxPro can be optimized by using indexes effectively, optimizing SQL queries, and using the SET OPTIMIZE command.

Describe the difference between a View and a Cursor in FoxPro.

A View is a virtual table based on the result-set of an SQL statement. A Cursor is a temporary work area created in the system memory when a SQL statement is executed.

What are the key features of FoxPro?

Key features of FoxPro include support for SQL queries, powerful data manipulation capabilities, support for various data types, and a robust programming language.

How would you create a relational database in FoxPro?

You can create a relational database in FoxPro by defining relationships between tables using the SET RELATION command.

Describe the difference between a Procedure and a Function in FoxPro.

A Procedure is a set of commands that performs a specific task and does not return a value. A Function also performs a specific task but it returns a value.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

At this point, a skilled FoxPro engineer should have demonstrated proficiency in FoxPro development, a strong understanding of relational database concepts, and problem-solving abilities. Red flags would include a lack of specific examples of past work, inability to discuss complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with latest FoxPro versions.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following FoxPro command do? USE customers

USE customers

This command opens the 'customers' table in the current database.

What will be the output of the following FoxPro command? ? 'Hello' + ' ' + 'World'

? 'Hello' + ' ' + 'World'

This command will output the string 'Hello World'. The '+' operator is used to concatenate strings in FoxPro.

What does the following FoxPro command do? AADD(aNames, 'John')

AADD(aNames, 'John')

This command adds the string 'John' to the end of the array 'aNames'.

What does the following FoxPro command do? DO WHILE .T.

DO WHILE .T.

This command starts an infinite loop. The '.T.' is a logical true constant in FoxPro, so the loop will continue indefinitely until it is broken by some other command.

What does the following FoxPro command do? DEFINE CLASS myClass AS custom

DEFINE CLASS myClass AS custom

This command defines a new class named 'myClass' that is derived from the 'custom' base class.

What will be the output of the following FoxPro command? FOR i = 1 TO 5 ? i ENDFOR

FOR i = 1 TO 5 ? i ENDFOR

This command will output the numbers 1 through 5, each on a new line. The 'FOR...ENDFOR' construct is a loop that executes the commands within it a specified number of times.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for FoxPro role questions

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

Describe the difference between FoxPro and other database management systems.

FoxPro is a file-server database management system that supports both procedural and object-oriented programming. It differs from other DBMS in its data handling capabilities, programming flexibility, and ease of integration with other software.

What are the advanced features of FoxPro?

Advanced features of FoxPro include support for Object-Oriented Programming, ability to create and manipulate databases using SQL, and support for creating standalone applications.

How would you handle transactions in FoxPro?

Transactions in FoxPro can be handled using the BEGIN TRANSACTION, END TRANSACTION, and ROLLBACK commands.

Describe the difference between a Table and a Database in FoxPro.

A Table is a collection of related data held in a structured format within a database. A Database is an organized collection of data, generally stored and accessed electronically.

What are the different types of locks in FoxPro?

FoxPro supports two types of locks: Record lock and File lock.

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FoxPro application related

Product Perfect's FoxPro development capabilities

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