C1X Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for C1X Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right C1X talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

C1X is a version of the C programming language standard that was published in 2011. It is an informal name for ISO/IEC 9899:2011, a standard promulgated by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). This version introduced several new features to the language, including multi-threading support, improved Unicode support, and new libraries for complex mathematical operations. It also included several improvements to the language's syntax and semantics to make it easier to write and understand code. C1X is backward compatible with previous versions of the C standard, meaning that code written in older versions of C can be compiled and run using a C1X compiler.

First 20 minutes

General C1X 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 implement multithreading in C1X?

Multithreading in C1X can be implemented using the '_Thread_local' keyword to declare thread-local variables, and the 'thrd_create' function to create a new thread.

What are the benefits of multithreading support in C1X?

Multithreading support allows for concurrent execution of two or more parts of a program for maximum utilization of CPU.

Describe the difference between C1X and its previous versions.

C1X introduced several new features and improvements over previous versions, including multithreading support, improved Unicode support, and new library functions.

How would you use the 'quick exit' function in C1X?

The 'quick exit' function can be used to terminate a program without completely cleaning the resources, which can be useful in situations where performance is a priority over cleanup.

What are the key features of C1X?

C1X includes features like multithreading support, improved Unicode support, bounds checking interfaces, a new 'quick exit' function, and more.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of software development methodologies?

This is important as it shows the candidate's ability to work in a structured and systematic way.

Has the candidate shown a willingness to learn and adapt?

This is crucial as technology is constantly evolving and the candidate needs to be able to keep up with the changes.

Does the candidate have experience with large-scale projects?

This is important as it shows the candidate's ability to handle complex projects and work under pressure.

Is the candidate able to communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly?

Good communication skills are essential for teamwork and for explaining complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Has the candidate shown problem-solving skills during the interview?

This is crucial as it indicates the candidate's ability to think critically and solve complex problems.

Does the candidate demonstrate a strong understanding of C1X language features?

This is important as it shows the candidate's ability to use the language effectively and efficiently.

Next 20 minutes

Specific C1X 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 use the improved Unicode support in C1X?

Unicode support in C1X can be used by including the 'uchar.h' header and using the 'char16_t' and 'char32_t' types for Unicode characters and strings.

What are the benefits of the improved Unicode support in C1X?

Improved Unicode support allows for better handling of international text, making it easier to develop software for global markets.

Describe the difference between 'exit' and 'quick_exit' in C1X.

While both functions terminate the program, 'exit' performs complete cleanup of resources, while 'quick_exit' does not, which can make it faster in certain situations.

How would you use the 'aligned_alloc' function in C1X?

The 'aligned_alloc' function can be used to allocate a block of memory that is suitably aligned for any object type. The function takes two parameters: the alignment and the size of the memory to be allocated.

What are the new library functions introduced in C1X?

C1X introduced several new library functions, including 'aligned_alloc' for aligned memory allocation, 'quick_exit' for quick program termination, and 'thrd_create' for thread creation.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the C1X engineer at this point.

A skilled C1X engineer should demonstrate excellent knowledge of C1X programming, problem-solving abilities, and strong debugging skills. Red flags include lack of technical depth, inability to articulate past projects clearly or lack of enthusiasm for coding.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with C1X.

What does the following simple C1X code do?

int main() {
	int a = 5;
	int b = 10;
	int c = a + b;
	printf('%d', c);
	return 0;
}

This code adds two integers, 5 and 10, and prints the result, which is 15.

What will be the output of this C1X code snippet?

int main() {
	char str[] = 'Hello, World!';
	printf('%s', str);
	return 0;
}

The output will be the string 'Hello, World!'

What does this C1X code snippet do?

int main() {
	int arr[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
	int sum = 0;
	for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
		sum += arr[i];
	}
	printf('%d', sum);
	return 0;
}

This code calculates the sum of all elements in the integer array {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, and prints the result, which is 15.

What does this C1X code snippet do?

#include 

void* printHello(void* threadid) {
	printf('Hello from thread %d', threadid);
	pthread_exit(NULL);
}

int main() {
	pthread_t threads[5];
	for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
		pthread_create(&threads[i], NULL, printHello, (void*)i);
	}
	return 0;
}

This code creates 5 threads and each thread prints a message 'Hello from thread' followed by its thread id.

What does this C1X code snippet do?

typedef struct {
	int x;
	int y;
} Point;

int main() {
	Point p1 = {5, 10};
	printf('%d %d', p1.x, p1.y);
	return 0;
}

This code defines a struct named 'Point' with two integer members 'x' and 'y'. It then creates a 'Point' object 'p1' and initializes it with {5, 10}. Finally, it prints the values of 'x' and 'y' of 'p1', which are 5 and 10 respectively.

What will be the output of this C1X code snippet?

#include 

int main() {
	int a = 5;
	int b = 10;
	int *p = &a;
	int **pp = &p;
	*p = b;
	printf('%d', a);
	return 0;
}

The output will be 10. The code snippet changes the value of 'a' by dereferencing a pointer 'p' that points to 'a', and then assigns 'b' to it.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for C1X role questions

The final few interview questions for a C1X candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

How would you use the atomic operations in C1X?

Atomic operations in C1X can be used by including the 'stdatomic.h' header and using functions like 'atomic_load' and 'atomic_store' that perform operations on atomic types.

What are the atomic operations in C1X?

Atomic operations are operations that are performed as a single, unbroken unit without the possibility of interruption, which is important in multithreaded programming.

Describe the difference between 'strcpy' and 'strcpy_s' in C1X.

While both functions copy a string, 'strcpy_s' takes an additional size parameter and checks whether the data fits into the destination before it is copied, helping to prevent buffer overflow.

How would you use the bounds checking interfaces in C1X?

Bounds checking interfaces can be used by including the 'string.h' header and using functions like 'strcpy_s' and 'strcat_s' that take an additional size parameter.

What are the bounds checking interfaces in C1X?

Bounds checking interfaces are a set of functions that check whether the data fits into the destination before it is copied, helping to prevent buffer overflow.

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C1X application related

Product Perfect's C1X development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your C1X engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in C1X projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.