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Ada 95 is a high-level, statically-typed computer programming language that was standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1995. It evolved from Ada 83, under the auspices of the U.S Department of Defense to address software engineering needs across large systems. Named after Ada Lovelace, it is renowned for its strong typing, run-time checking and concurrency features which make it suitable for mission-critical applications such as avionics and defense systems. The language also supports object-oriented programming paradigms including encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism. Its design principles emphasize readability over writeability leading to easier maintenance and fewer errors.

Ask the right questions secure the right Ada 95 talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

First 20 minutes

General Ada 95 app knowledge and experience

The first 20 minutes of the interview should seek to understand the candidate's general background in Ada 95 application development, including their experience with various programming languages, databases, and their approach to designing scalable and maintainable systems.

How would you declare a variable in Ada 95?

In Ada 95, a variable is declared using the following syntax: 'variable_name : type := initial_value;'. For example, 'count : Integer := 0;'.

What are the basic data types in Ada 95?

The basic data types in Ada 95 include Integer, Float, Character, Boolean, and Duration.

How would you define a procedure in Ada 95?

A procedure in Ada 95 is defined using the 'procedure' keyword followed by the procedure name, parameters in parentheses, and 'is' keyword. The body of the procedure is enclosed in 'begin' and 'end' keywords.

What is the purpose of the 'with' clause in Ada 95?

The 'with' clause in Ada 95 is used to import a package or a module into the current scope. It is similar to the 'import' statement in other programming languages.

Describe the difference between a function and a procedure in Ada 95.

In Ada 95, a function is a subprogram that returns a value, while a procedure is a subprogram that performs an action but does not return a value.

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What you’re looking for early on

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of Ada 95's syntax and structure?

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Is the candidate familiar with the standard Ada 95 library?

Can the candidate work effectively in a team?

Next 20 minutes

Specific Ada 95 development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should focus on the candidate's expertise with specific backend frameworks, their understanding of RESTful APIs, and their experience in handling data storage and retrieval efficiently.

How would you handle exceptions in Ada 95?

In Ada 95, exceptions are handled using the 'exception' keyword in a block of code. The 'when' keyword is used to specify the type of exception and the action to be taken.

What are the different types of loops in Ada 95?

Ada 95 supports several types of loops including 'while' loops, 'for' loops, and 'loop' (indefinite) loops.

How would you implement inheritance in Ada 95?

In Ada 95, inheritance is implemented using 'tagged' types. A new type is defined as a 'tagged' type and then it can inherit the properties and methods of another 'tagged' type.

Describe the difference between 'in' and 'out' parameters in Ada 95.

'In' parameters in Ada 95 are used to pass values to a subprogram, while 'out' parameters are used to return values from a subprogram. 'In' parameters are read-only, while 'out' parameters are write-only.

What is the purpose of the 'pragma' directive in Ada 95?

The 'pragma' directive in Ada 95 is used to provide additional information to the compiler, such as optimization options, warning suppression, or specific hardware instructions.

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At this point, a skilled Ada 95 engineer should demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, proficiency in Ada 95 programming language, and knowledge of software development methodologies. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex concepts, or unfamiliarity with standard coding practices.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with Ada 95.

What does the following Ada 95 code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Hello is
begin
  Put_Line ('Hello, world!');
end Hello;
This code prints 'Hello, world!' to the standard output.
What will be the output of the following Ada 95 code?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Print_Num is
  Num : Integer := 10;
begin
  Put_Line (Integer'Image(Num));
end Print_Num;
The output of this code will be '10'. It declares an integer Num, assigns it a value of 10, and then prints the value of Num to the standard output.
What does the following Ada 95 code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
procedure Array_Sum is
  type Int_Array is array (1 .. 5) of Integer;
  Arr : Int_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
  Sum : Integer := 0;
begin
  for I in Arr'Range loop
    Sum := Sum + Arr(I);
  end loop;
  Put_Line (Integer'Image(Sum));
end Array_Sum;
This code calculates the sum of all elements in an array. It declares an array of integers with 5 elements, calculates the sum of these elements using a loop, and then prints the sum to the standard output.
What does the following Ada 95 code do?
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
with Ada.Real_Time; use Ada.Real_Time;
procedure Sleep is
begin
  delay 1.0;
  Put_Line ('Slept for 1 second');
end Sleep;
This code makes the program sleep or delay for 1 second, and then prints 'Slept for 1 second' to the standard output.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Ada 95 Developer role questions

The final few questions should evaluate the candidate's teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, assess their knowledge of microservices architecture, serverless computing, and how they handle Ada 95 application deployments. Inquire about their experience in handling system failures and their approach to debugging and troubleshooting.

How would you create a generic package in Ada 95?

A generic package in Ada 95 is created using the 'generic' keyword followed by the package specification. The package body is then defined in a similar way to a regular package.

What are the different types of access types in Ada 95?

Ada 95 supports two types of access types: 'access all' for general access and 'access constant' for read-only access.

Describe the difference between 'limited' and 'private' types in Ada 95.

'Limited' types in Ada 95 are types that do not support assignment or equality operations, while 'private' types are types whose full definition is hidden from the client code.

Ada 95 application related

Product Perfect's Ada 95 development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your Ada 95 engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in Ada 95 projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.

Ada 95 Consultive assessments

Ada 95 Application Conversion Assessment Ada 95 Application Integration Assessment Ada 95 Data & Database Integration Assessment

Custom Ada 95 development projects

Custom Ada 95 App Conversion Ada 95 Custom App Development Process App UI Design for Ada 95 Facelifts

Hiring guide for Ada 95 Engineers

Ada 95 Developer Hiring Guide

What you’re looking for early on

The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the Ada 95 engineer at this point.

Ada 95 Consultive assessments

Custom Ada 95 development projects