Caught Cheating - SDE Candidate interview unexpectedly terminated | [Software Engineering Interview]

Summary

The interviewee, a Java developer with five years of experience, discusses their expertise in full-stack development, including front-end technologies like Angular and React, and back-end with Spring frameworks. They mention proficiency in SQL and NoSQL databases, testing tools like JUnit and JERS, and agile methodology. The candidate explains Java's string immutability and contrasts arrays with ArrayLists. They also touch on Java 8 features and provide a coding snippet for filtering employees by salary using streams. Lastly, they give insights on Spring's evolution to Spring Boot, emphasizing its benefits like reduced development time and efficient testing.

Takeaways

• 👨‍💻 The interviewee has five years of experience as a Java developer.
• 🌐 They have full-stack development experience, working on both front-end with JavaScript, Angular, React, HTML, and CSS, and back-end with microservices using Spring Framework.
• 💾 They are comfortable with SQL and NoSQL databases.
• 🔧 They have experience with build tools, testing tools like JUnit and JERS, and have collaborated with QA teams on automation scripts.
• 🔄 The interviewee is familiar with Agile methodology and Spring and Hibernate frameworks.
• 🔒 The reason for String immutability in Java is related to security, synchronization, concurrency, caching, and class loading.
• 📊 The difference between Array and ArrayList is that arrays are fixed-length data structures, while ArrayLists are variable-length collections with additional methods.
• 🌟 Java 8 features include the Stream API, functional interfaces, Lambda expressions, the Optional class, default methods, and method references.
• 💼 The interviewee was asked to write a code snippet to filter employees by salary using Java Streams.
• 🚀 Spring Boot was developed to reduce development time, increase efficiency, and provide default setups for unit and integration testing, encouraging testable code and powerful database transaction management.
• ✋ The interview could not proceed further due to the lack of an IDE, which was a requirement from the interviewer's side.

Q & A

What is the candidate's experience in Java development?

The candidate has been working as a Java developer for about five years, with exposure to various tools and technologies within Java and J2EE.

What front-end technologies has the candidate worked with?

The candidate has experience with JavaScript libraries such as Angular and React, as well as HTML and CSS.

How does the candidate describe their back-end development experience?

The candidate has worked on microservice architecture using Spring Boot and Spring Framework, indicating proficiency with back-end development.

What database technologies is the candidate comfortable with?

The candidate is comfortable working with both SQL and NoSQL databases.

What tools has the candidate used for building and testing?

The candidate has experience with build tools and is comfortable with testing tools like JUnit and JERS, and has collaborated with QA teams to write automation scripts.

How familiar is the candidate with Agile methodology?

The candidate is quite familiar with Agile methodology, having worked on projects based on it.

Why does the candidate think strings are immutable in Java?

The candidate suggests that string immutability is related to security, synchronization, concurrency, caching, and class loading, particularly for parameters presented in network connections and databases.

What is the difference between an array and an ArrayList according to the candidate?

The candidate explains that arrays are fixed-length data structures with basic functionality, while ArrayLists are part of the Java Collections framework and offer more methods. ArrayLists are also variable length collections.

What features of Java 8 does the candidate mention?

The candidate mentions the Stream API, functional interfaces, Lambda expressions, the Optional class, default methods, and method references as features of Java 8.

How does the candidate approach filtering a list of employees by salary?

The candidate suggests using the Stream API to filter employees with a salary greater than a specified amount and then returning or printing the list of filtered employees.

What is the candidate's understanding of the evolution of Spring to Spring Boot?

The candidate views Spring Boot as a development to reduce development time, increase efficiency, provide default setups for unit and integration testing, and encourage writing testable code with powerful database transaction management.

What was the issue with proceeding further in the interview?

The interview could not proceed further because the candidate did not have access to an IDE, which was a requirement for the coding portion of the interview.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Java Developer's Experience and Skills

The speaker, a Java developer with five years of experience, provides an overview of their career and technical skills. They have worked extensively with Java and J2 technologies, covering full-stack development with proficiency in both front-end (JavaScript, Angular, React, HTML, CSS) and back-end (microservices architecture, Spring framework). They are also comfortable with SQL and NoSQL databases and have experience with build and testing tools like Jenkins and JIRA. Additionally, they have collaborated with QA teams on automation scripts and are familiar with agile methodology and frameworks like Spring Data and Hibernate.

05:50

🔍 Discussion on String Immutability and Java Collections

The conversation shifts to a technical discussion where the developer explains the immutability of strings in Java, attributing it to security, synchronization, concurrency, and class loading. They also differentiate between arrays and ArrayLists, highlighting that arrays are fixed-length data structures with basic functionality, while ArrayLists are variable-length collections with additional methods. The developer mentions Java 8 features such as the Stream API, functional interfaces, Lambda expressions, the Optional class, default methods, and method references.

🛠️ Spring Boot Evolution and Coding Snippet

The developer discusses the evolution of Spring to Spring Boot, emphasizing the goals of reducing development time and increasing efficiency. They mention the benefits of default setups for unit and integration testing, dependency injection, and database transaction management. However, the interview is interrupted due to the lack of an IDE, which was a requirement for the coding portion of the interview. The interviewer suggests informing the vendor or recruiter about the miscommunication. The developer is unable to proceed without an IDE and the interview concludes without further technical demonstration.

Keywords

💡Java Developer

A Java Developer is a software professional who writes, tests, debugs, and maintains Java applications. In the script, the interviewee mentions having worked as a Java developer for five years, implying extensive experience with Java and related technologies. This role is central to the video's theme of discussing technical expertise and experience in software development.

💡Full Stack

Full Stack refers to a developer who is proficient in both front-end and back-end technologies. The interviewee claims to be a full stack Java developer, indicating they have experience working on all layers of web applications, from the user interface to the server and database. This concept is crucial to the video's narrative as it highlights the interviewee's versatility and broad skill set.

💡JavaScript Libraries

JavaScript Libraries are pre-written code that can be included in a JavaScript program to assist in various tasks. The interviewee mentions using libraries like Angular and React, which are popular frameworks for building dynamic web applications. These libraries are part of the interviewee's front-end technology stack and are key to the video's discussion about web development tools.

💡Microservices

Microservices is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services. The interviewee discusses working with microservice architecture, which is a testament to their experience in modern, scalable software design. This term is relevant to the video's theme as it showcases the interviewee's exposure to advanced software development practices.

💡Spring Framework

The Spring Framework is an open-source Java platform that provides comprehensive infrastructure support for developing Java applications. The interviewee mentions working with the Spring framework, which is indicative of their experience with enterprise-level Java development. This framework is integral to the video's discussion on back-end development tools and practices.

💡SQL and NoSQL

SQL (Structured Query Language) and NoSQL refer to different types of database management systems. The interviewee states comfort with both SQL and NoSQL databases, demonstrating their ability to work with a variety of data storage solutions. This keyword is significant to the video as it underscores the interviewee's adaptability and proficiency in database management.

💡JUnit and JERS

JUnit is a unit testing framework for Java, while JERS (presumably a typo and should be JUnit) is used for testing Java applications. The interviewee mentions using these tools, which is indicative of their focus on quality assurance and testing in software development. This keyword is relevant as it highlights the interviewee's comprehensive approach to development, including testing.

💡Agile Methodology

Agile Methodology is a project management approach that emphasizes iterative progress, collaboration, and flexibility. The interviewee mentions familiarity with Agile ceremonies, which suggests their experience in working within Agile teams and adapting to dynamic project requirements. This term is central to the video's narrative as it reflects the interviewee's project management skills.

💡String Immutability

String immutability refers to the property of Java Strings where once a String object is created, it cannot be changed. The interviewee is asked about the reason behind this design choice, which is related to security, synchronization, and caching. This concept is important in the video as it delves into the deeper aspects of Java's design and performance considerations.

💡Java 8

Java 8 is a version of the Java platform that introduced several new features, including the Stream API, functional interfaces, Lambda expressions, and the Optional class. The interviewee is asked about features of Java 8, indicating their knowledge of this version's capabilities. This keyword is significant as it reflects the interviewee's awareness of recent advancements in Java technology.

💡Spring Boot

Spring Boot is a framework that simplifies the creation and development of new Spring applications. The interviewee discusses the evolution of Spring to Spring Boot, emphasizing its role in reducing development time and increasing efficiency. This term is crucial to the video as it highlights the interviewee's understanding of the motivations behind using Spring Boot in modern development.

Highlights

Experience as a Java developer for five years.

Worked with Java and J2 Technologies.

Full stack Java developer with experience in front-end and back-end web applications.

Utilized JavaScript libraries like Angular and React.

Worked with HTML and CSS for front-end development.

Experience with microservices architecture using Spring Framework.

Comfortable with SQL and NoSQL databases.

Familiar with various development environments and build tools.

Experience in testing using tools like JUnit and JERS.

Collaborated with QA teams to write automation scripts.

Projects were based on Agile methodology.

Explanation of String immutability in Java due to security, synchronization, and class loading.

Difference between Array and ArrayList in Java.

Features of Java 8 including Stream API, functional interfaces, Lambda expressions, Optional class, default methods, and method references.

Coding snippet to filter employees by salary using Java Streams.

Evolution of Spring to Spring Boot and reasons for using Spring Boot.

Spring Boot aims to reduce development time and increase efficiency.

Spring Boot encourages writing testable code and has powerful database transaction management.

Interview cannot proceed without an IDE.

Interviewer and interviewee agree to wrap up the call.

Transcripts

okay okay yeah let's get started can you

give a quick overview about your past

experience and uh key technical skill

sets you have worked on what's uh your

stack technology stack what all your key

Technologies you worked on so we can

start from

there uh sure yeah so talking about

myself I've been working as a Java

developer for about five years now so

throughout my care it's kind of been

exposed to different you know tools and

Technology itself within those course

Java and J2 Technologies itself and

being that full stack Java developer I

have kind of work on both front and back

of the web application itself so talking

about the front itself where I've been

kind of like utilizing those JavaScript

libraries like angulars and react along

with those HTML and CSS itself and

within the back IDE I've been kind of

like working on those you know

microservice architecture itself

utilizing those spren framework spren

board framework itself and then uh

talking about the database side I'm

quite comfortable working on the SQL and

no sqls like itself so I'm pretty

comfortable with there as well and also

kind of like talking about all other

kind of tools itself I mean I have

worked on different you know environment

itself and then within different you

know those build tools and everything

and not only on just the building side

but I'm quite comfortable working on the

testing side as well so within there

I've been going ahead and then utilizing

tools like Jun chest and Jers all those

itself and also going ahead and then

working side by side with the QA team

itself helping them to go them and write

those you know autom scripts and

everything so yeah on that and then most

of my projects were based on agile

methodology so I'm quite familiar with

all that ceremonies within there itself

and then not just on that spring food

but I'm quite fam working on those

spring and hiate kind of you know

framework itself so yeah that's pretty

much about

myself sure uh can you uh tell me why uh

string is

immutable uh I'm sorry I didn't quite

quite catch that what was that again no

no no uh can you tell me why string is

immutable in Jaa uh the reason I mean I

think it's because of that

synchronization and something to do with

those you know concurrency caching or

like those class loading

itself sorry is that because uh

concurrency I didn't get that can you

come

again yeah so uh within there I mean

it's because of those security those you

know synchronization those concurrency

there's you know caching and Clash

loading itself so within that security

itself or like you know parameters are

typically presented within that string

in network connection itself and those

database are like URLs and all that

itself so I think yeah those are kind of

like the reason that spring you string

is

inable okay uh can you tell me uh what

is the difference between array and

array

list yeah sure so talking about that

array and the array list itself where

like you know array is kind of like

those basic functionality uh within this

Java itself but uh I think the are list

is part of the collection itself so uh I

uh we can go ahead and then you know

access those array members uh using that

I mean square bracket itself but AR list

has that you know set up those methods

itself so yeah those and also kind of

like where like you know array is kind

of like that fixed length data structure

itself but the are list is kind of like

variable length

collection okay um and uh can you tell

me few features of java

eight yeah so talking about that Java

eight itself I mean we have that stream

API functional you know interfaces

itself those Lambda Expressions I mean

we have that optional class and then

those you know defa methods and all

those and also the method references and

all

that okay uh so uh can we quickly do a

quick coding snipper kind of how if let

me give you a list of employees okay uh

and filter uh the employees by the

salary okay okay do you stream and print

the salary or not the salary filter them

with the salary and get me the list of

employees again just stream it fil uh

greater than uh

$110,000 employees filter them and get

those employees you got it what I

meant uh so you said you want me to go

then filter that employees by what again

yeah by

salary okay and then I'll go ahead and

print that list of those employees yes

correct you can print or just return me

the list of employees just write a quote

snippet in the

chat

okay so uh that's to goad and filter

that uh you know the employee

itself

so you're doing X greater than x do

salary let's say your salary can be

$10,000 I told $10,000 but you are

taking X and you checking against the X

itself uh okay hold

on

uh so does that looks good to

you yeah that makes sense okay uh can

you give me uh

uh just a road map how the spring

evolved to the spring Boot and why

spring boot

is I'm sorry Road M road map of what

again spring how the spring evolved uh

in the past couple of years and how why

we landed up in Spring Boot and why

spring boot is actually can you give

me why we use spring

boot uh yeah sure so talking about like

uh you know that spring to kind of like

string I mean spring boot itself I mean

the reason I think uh like you know we

kind of came across with this spring

itself is because the main kind of like

you know goal within is I think to go

ahead and reduce those overall

development time itself and then also

kind of like you know working to

increase those efficiency having to goad

and then you having all those default

set up for like those you know different

unit or like those integration kind of

like those test itself and also kind of

like you know having those Springs

dependency injection approach itself or

like you know it encourage us to

government write those testable code

itself and also I think it with those

you know powerful database transaction

management kind of things with there so

yeah probably like those kind of like

situations is the reason that we kind of

move to that our spring

Bo

okay um do you have any IDE or

something uh I do not have any ID in my

personal laptop here but if you want to

go ahead and work on that are you online

compiler uh no that's what we told we

want an IDE

only then we can do the interview I

think this was told to the vendar or the

recruiter I hope so I'm not

sure uh I didn't uh quite get that I

mean you know that message itself it was

not probably not delivered to me or

something so I mean I thought like you

know we could I mean usually like that's

what we do on the interview I mean alls

used to do so I mean I don't know yeah

probably like that message was not

delivered to me

properly okay sure that's fine um uh so

without IDE I think we can't proceed

further uh we will uh let the uh vend

know like we we did inform them to so

they should have communicated you uh

it's uh that it should be their problem

they should have told that that's fine

uh for now I think we can wrap up the

call do you have any questions for

me uh I mean not particularly because we

are not even liking fin so I mean if

there's like no way that we could V use

that online compiler

things uh no we want to do on the ID

that's what it would be

better so we did okay sure yeah then

yeah that's totally fine yeah like that

okay sorry uh sure uh thank you so much

okay thank

you