C2x Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for C2x Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right C2x talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

C2x is the unofficial name for the next (possibly in 2023) planned standard for the C programming language. It is intended to be a replacement for the existing C17 standard and aims to fix some of the issues that have been identified in the current version. The exact features and changes that will be included in C2x are not yet finalized, but it is expected to include improvements in areas such as type safety, memory management, and concurrency. Like its predecessors, C2x will be developed by the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) working group WG14.

First 20 minutes

General C2x 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 benefits of using C2x over older versions of C?

C2x provides many benefits over older versions of C, including more features, better performance, and improved compatibility with other languages.

How would you use the _Generic keyword in C2x?

The _Generic keyword in C2x is used for type generic programming. It allows writing code that can work with multiple data types.

Describe the difference between C11 and C2x.

C2x introduces a number of new features and improvements over C11, such as better support for multithreading, decimal floating point arithmetic, and new library functions.

What are some new features introduced in C2x?

Some new features in C2x include support for decimal floating point arithmetic, improved multithreading support, and new library functions.

How would you describe the purpose of C2x?

C2x is the next planned standard for the C programming language. Its purpose is to improve the language while maintaining the spirit of C, with changes like new features, bug fixes, and better compatibility with other languages.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate show a willingness to learn and adapt?

The field of software development is constantly evolving, so it's important for a candidate to demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies and practices.

Is the candidate familiar with the latest C2x standards and practices?

Staying updated with the latest standards and practices is important in a rapidly evolving field like software development.

Does the candidate have experience with large-scale projects?

Experience with large-scale projects can indicate that the candidate is capable of handling the scope and complexity of the projects they would be working on.

Has the candidate demonstrated good communication skills?

Good communication skills are important for any job position. The candidate should be able to clearly explain their thought process and solutions.

Can the candidate solve complex problems using C2x?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer position. The candidate should be able to use C2x to solve complex problems.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of C2x language features?

This is crucial as the job position requires a deep knowledge of C2x, and the candidate should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the language's features.

Next 20 minutes

Specific C2x 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 decimal floating point arithmetic in C2x?

C2x introduces support for decimal floating point arithmetic, which can be used for more precise calculations.

Describe the difference between C2x and other programming languages.

C2x, like other versions of C, is a low-level language that provides more control over the hardware, unlike higher-level languages like Python or Java.

What are the drawbacks of using C2x?

Some drawbacks of using C2x include the need to learn new features and the possibility of incompatibility with older C code.

How would you handle multithreading in C2x?

C2x provides improved support for multithreading through features like atomic operations and thread-local storage.

Describe the difference between C2x and C++.

While both are extensions of the C programming language, C++ focuses more on features like object-oriented programming, while C2x focuses on improving the core C language.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the C2x engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled C2x engineer should demonstrate proficiency in C2x language features, problem-solving abilities, and efficient coding practices. They should be able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly. Red flags include lack of knowledge in C2x standards, inability to solve problems, and poor communication skills.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with C2x.

What does the following simple C2x code do?

int main() {
    printf('Hello, World!');
    return 0;
}

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

What will be the output of the following C2x code?

int main() {
    int a = 10;
    int b = 20;
    printf('%d', a+b);
    return 0;
}

The output of this code will be '30'. It adds the integers 'a' and 'b' and prints the result.

What does the following C2x code do?

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

This code initializes an array with 5 elements and then prints each element of the array.

What does the following C2x code 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 that includes its ID.

What does the following C2x code do?

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

int main() {
    Point p1 = {1, 2};
    printf('Point p1: x = %d, y = %d', p1.x, p1.y);
    return 0;
}

This code defines a structure 'Point' with two integer members 'x' and 'y'. It then creates a 'Point' object 'p1', initializes it with values, and prints these values.

What will be the output of the following C2x code?

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

The output of this code will be '10'. The code declares a pointer 'p', assigns it the address of 'a', and then prints the value at the address pointed to by 'p'.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for C2x role questions

The final few interview questions for a C2x candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

Describe the difference between C2x and assembly language.

C2x, like other versions of C, is a high-level language that provides abstractions over the hardware, while assembly language is a low-level language that directly manipulates the hardware.

What are the improvements in error handling in C2x?

C2x introduces improvements in error handling, such as new library functions for error reporting and better support for exceptions.

How would you handle memory management in C2x?

C2x, like other versions of C, requires manual memory management. This involves allocating memory when needed and freeing it when no longer needed.

Describe the difference between C2x and C#.

C2x is a low-level language that gives more control over the hardware, while C# is a high-level language that focuses on ease of use and productivity.

What are the changes in the standard library in C2x?

C2x introduces new library functions and improves existing ones for better performance and functionality.

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C2x application related

Product Perfect's C2x development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your C2x engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in C2x projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.