ISWIM Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for ISWIM Engineers

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

ISWIM (Initial System for Interactive Mathematical Applications) is a computer programming language designed in 1967 by Christopher Strachey. It was one of the first interactive programming languages, and was used to develop a number of early computer algebra systems. Sources: * [ISWIM on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISWIM) * [ISWIM on the Computer History Museum website](https://www.computerhistory.org/software/iswim/)

First 20 minutes

General ISWIM 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 advantages of using ISWIM over other programming languages?

ISWIM has several advantages over other programming languages. Its simple syntax and strong type system make it easy to learn and use, and its support for functional programming allows for concise and readable code. Additionally, its garbage collector automatically frees up memory that is no longer in use, which can help improve performance.

How would you handle errors in ISWIM?

ISWIM has a strong type system that helps prevent many common errors. However, if an error does occur, it's important to understand the error message and use it to debug the code. Additionally, it's a good practice to write tests for your code to ensure it behaves as expected.

Describe the difference between ISWIM and other programming languages.

ISWIM differs from other programming languages in several ways. Firstly, it's a high-level language, which means it's more abstract and easier to read and write than low-level languages. Secondly, it has a strong type system, which helps prevent errors. Lastly, it supports functional programming, which is a programming paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing-state and mutable data.

What are the key features of ISWIM?

ISWIM has several key features, including a simple syntax, a strong type system, and a high level of abstraction. It also supports functional programming, which allows for more concise and readable code. Additionally, ISWIM has a garbage collector, which automatically frees up memory that is no longer in use.

How would you explain the concept of ISWIM?

ISWIM, or 'If you See What I Mean', is a computer programming language that was designed to be easy to learn and use. It's a high-level language that uses a simple syntax and a strong type system to help prevent errors. It's also designed to be easy to compile and execute, making it a good choice for beginners and experienced programmers alike.

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What youre looking for early-on

Is the candidate familiar with the software development lifecycle?

Understanding the lifecycle is important for planning, designing, building, testing, and maintaining software effectively.

Does the candidate have a good track record of meeting deadlines?

This is important as it shows that the candidate can manage their time effectively and deliver work on schedule.

Has the candidate demonstrated good communication skills?

Good communication is essential in a development team to ensure everyone is on the same page and to avoid misunderstandings.

Does the candidate have a good grasp of data structures and algorithms?

This is important because effective use of data structures and algorithms can greatly improve the performance of the software.

Is the candidate able to solve problems efficiently and effectively?

Problem-solving skills are key in software development, as they will often need to troubleshoot and resolve issues that arise in coding.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of ISWIM language?

This is crucial as it is the primary language they will be using in their role as an ISWIM developer.

Next 20 minutes

Specific ISWIM 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.

Describe the difference between strong and weak typing in ISWIM.

In ISWIM, strong typing means that the type of a variable is checked at compile time, and any type errors are caught before the program is run. This can help prevent many common errors. On the other hand, weak typing would mean that type checking is done at runtime, and it's possible for a variable to hold values of different types at different times.

How would you implement a complex algorithm in ISWIM?

Implementing a complex algorithm in ISWIM involves breaking down the problem into smaller, manageable parts, and then writing functions to solve each part. It's important to write clear, readable code and to use the strong type system to prevent errors. Additionally, it's a good practice to write tests for your code to ensure it behaves as expected.

What are the limitations of ISWIM?

While ISWIM has many advantages, it also has some limitations. For example, it's not as widely used as some other languages, so there may be fewer resources and tools available. Additionally, because it's a high-level language, it may not be as efficient as low-level languages for certain tasks.

Describe the difference between functional and procedural programming in ISWIM.

Functional programming in ISWIM treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing-state and mutable data. On the other hand, procedural programming is a programming paradigm based on the concept of the procedure call. Procedures, also known as routines, subroutines, or functions, simply contain a series of computational steps to be carried out.

How would you optimize a piece of code in ISWIM?

Optimizing code in ISWIM involves several steps. Firstly, it's important to understand the code and identify any potential bottlenecks. Then, you can use various techniques to optimize the code, such as reducing the number of function calls, using more efficient data structures, or parallelizing the code if possible.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled ISWIM engineer should demonstrate deep technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and strong communication abilities. Red flags include inability to explain complex concepts simply, lack of practical experience or application of knowledge, and poor interpersonal skills.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does the following code do?

{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30,
  "city": "New York"
}

This code defines a JSON object with three properties: name, age, and city. The values of these properties are "John", 30, and "New York" respectively.

What will be the output of the following code?

{
  "employees":[
    {"firstName":"John", "lastName":"Doe"},
    {"firstName":"Anna", "lastName":"Smith"},
    {"firstName":"Peter", "lastName":"Jones"}
  ]
}

The code creates a JSON object that contains an array named 'employees'. The array has three elements, each of which is a JSON object with two properties: firstName and lastName.

What does the following code do?

{
  "books": [
    {"title": "Harry Potter", "author": "J.K. Rowling"},
    {"title": "Lord of the Rings", "author": "J.R.R. Tolkien"}
  ]
}

This code creates a JSON object that contains an array named 'books'. Each element in the 'books' array is a JSON object with two properties: title and author.

What will be the output of the following code?

{
  "person": {
    "name": "John",
    "age": 30,
    "city": "New York",
    "cars": [
      "Ford",
      "BMW",
      "Fiat"
    ]
  }
}

The code creates a JSON object named 'person' with four properties: name, age, city, and cars. The 'cars' property is an array containing three elements: "Ford", "BMW", and "Fiat".

What does the following code do?

{
  "employees": {
    "employee": [
      {"id": "1", "firstName": "John", "lastName": "Doe"},
      {"id": "2", "firstName": "Anna", "lastName": "Smith"},
      {"id": "3", "firstName": "Peter", "lastName": "Jones"}
    ]
  }
}

This code creates a JSON object named 'employees' that contains another JSON object named 'employee'. The 'employee' object is an array of three elements, each of which is a JSON object with three properties: id, firstName, and lastName.

What will be the output of the following code?

{
  "person": {
    "name": "John",
    "age": 30,
    "city": "New York",
    "cars": {
      "car": [
        "Ford",
        "BMW",
        "Fiat"
      ]
    }
  }
}

The code creates a JSON object named 'person' with four properties: name, age, city, and cars. The 'cars' property is a JSON object that contains an array named 'car' with three elements: "Ford", "BMW", and "Fiat".

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for ISWIM role questions

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

How would you use ISWIM to build a large-scale application?

Building a large-scale application in ISWIM involves designing a robust architecture, writing clear and efficient code, and thoroughly testing the application to ensure it behaves as expected. It's also important to consider performance and scalability, and to use tools and practices such as version control and continuous integration to manage the development process.

What are the challenges of working with ISWIM and how would you overcome them?

Some challenges of working with ISWIM include its relative obscurity, which means there may be fewer resources and tools available, and its strong typing, which can be restrictive. To overcome these challenges, it's important to seek out resources and communities that can provide support, and to use the strong typing to your advantage by preventing errors.

Describe the difference between garbage collection in ISWIM and manual memory management.

Garbage collection in ISWIM automatically frees up memory that is no longer in use, which can help improve performance and prevent memory leaks. On the other hand, manual memory management requires the programmer to explicitly free up memory when it's no longer needed, which can be more complex and error-prone.

How would you debug a complex piece of code in ISWIM?

Debugging a complex piece of code in ISWIM involves understanding the code, identifying the problem, and then using various techniques to solve it. This could include using a debugger, adding print statements to the code, or writing tests to isolate the problem.

What are the best practices for testing code in ISWIM?

Testing code in ISWIM involves writing tests for each function to ensure it behaves as expected. It's important to test both normal and edge cases. Additionally, it's a good practice to use a test framework, which can automate the testing process and provide useful feedback.

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ISWIM application related

Product Perfect's ISWIM development capabilities

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