10+ HSBC Group Software Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Given an array of integers and an integer K, determine if there exist two distinct indices i and j such that ARR[i] == ARR[j] and | i - j | <= K.

• Iterate through the array and keep track of the indices of each element using a hashmap.

• Check if the current element already exists in the hashmap within a distance of K.

• Return 'Yes' if a pair of such indices exists, otherwise return 'No'.

The data structures used for implementing an LRU cache are doubly linked list and hash map.

• Doubly linked list is used to maintain the order of recently used elements.

• Hash map is used for fast lookups to check if an element is present in the cache or not.

• When a new element is accessed, it is moved to the front of the linked list to indicate it as the most recently used.

Functional dependency is a relationship between attributes in a database table, while transitive dependency occurs when an attribute is functionally dependent on another attribute.

• Functional dependency: A determines B, where the value of A uniquely determines the value of B.

• Transitive dependency: A determines B, and B determines C, therefore A indirectly determines C.

• Example of functional dependency: Employee ID determines Employee Name.

• Example of transitive dependency: Emplo...read more

Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity.

• Normalization is used to eliminate data redundancy and ensure data integrity.

• There are different normal forms such as 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, and 4NF.

• Each normal form has specific rules to follow in order to achieve it.

• For example, 1NF ensures that each column contains atomic values, 2NF eliminates partial dependencies, and 3NF removes transitive dependencies.

A bootstrap program is a small program that initializes the operating system during the boot process.

• Bootstrap program is the first code that runs when a computer is turned on.

• It loads the operating system kernel into memory and starts its execution.

• It performs hardware checks, sets up memory, and initializes system components.

• Examples include GRUB for Linux and NTLDR for Windows.

DBMS stands for Database Management System, while RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System. RDBMS is a type of DBMS.

• DBMS is a software system that allows users to define, create, maintain and control access to the database.

• RDBMS is a type of DBMS that stores data in a structured format using tables with rows and columns.

• RDBMS enforces a set of rules called ACID properties to ensure data integrity, while DBMS may not necessarily enforce these rules.

• Examples of DB...read more

Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction

• Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods that operate on the data into a single unit

• Inheritance: Ability of a class to inherit properties and behavior from another class

• Polymorphism: Ability to present the same interface for different data types

• Abstraction: Hiding the complex implementation details and showing only the necessary features

Object oriented programming is a programming paradigm based on the concept of objects, which can contain data and code.

• Objects are instances of classes, which define the structure and behavior of the objects.

• Encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism are key principles of object oriented programming.

• Example: Inheritance allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class.

• Example: Encapsulation hides the internal state of an object and only exposes necessary ...read more

A stack follows Last In First Out (LIFO) order while a queue follows First In First Out (FIFO) order.

• Stack: elements are added and removed from the top (like a stack of plates)

• Queue: elements are added at the rear and removed from the front (like a line of people)

• Stack: push() and pop() operations

• Queue: enqueue() and dequeue() operations

• Example: Undo functionality in text editors (stack) vs. printer queue (queue)

Code implementing all 4 pillars of OOPs

• Encapsulation: Encapsulate data within classes and provide public methods to access and modify the data.

• Inheritance: Create a hierarchy of classes where child classes inherit attributes and methods from parent classes.

• Polymorphism: Allow objects of different classes to be treated as objects of a common superclass through method overriding and overloading.

• Abstraction: Hide complex implementation details and only show the necessary feature...read more

SQL is a standard language for managing databases, while MySQL is a specific open-source relational database management system.

• SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is used to communicate with databases.

• SQL is a standard language that can be used with various database management systems.

• MySQL is a specific open-source relational database management system that uses SQL.

• MySQL is one of the most popular database management systems that uses SQL for querying and managing ...read more

Code to find the 2nd largest element in an array

• Sort the array in descending order and return the element at index 1

• Iterate through the array and keep track of the two largest elements

• Handle edge cases like arrays with less than 2 elements

C is a procedural programming language while C++ is an object-oriented programming language.

• C is a procedural programming language, while C++ supports both procedural and object-oriented programming.

• C does not have classes and objects, while C++ does.

• C does not support function overloading, while C++ does.

• C does not have exception handling, while C++ does.

• C does not have namespaces, while C++ does.

Delete removes specific rows from a table, Truncate removes all rows from a table, and Drop removes the table itself.

• Delete is a DML command that removes specific rows from a table based on a condition.

• Truncate is a DDL command that removes all rows from a table but keeps the table structure.

• Drop is a DDL command that removes the entire table along with its structure.

Merge sort is a divide and conquer algorithm that divides the input array into two halves, sorts them recursively, and then merges them.

• Divide the input array into two halves

• Recursively sort each half

• Merge the sorted halves back together

Different types of joins in DBMS include inner join, outer join, left join, right join, and full join.

• Inner join: Returns rows when there is a match in both tables.

• Outer join: Returns all rows from one table and only matching rows from the other table.

• Left join: Returns all rows from the left table and the matched rows from the right table.

• Right join: Returns all rows from the right table and the matched rows from the left table.

• Full join: Returns rows when there is a match i...read more

Stacks are Last In First Out (LIFO) data structures, while Queues are First In First Out (FIFO) data structures.

• Stacks: Elements are added and removed from the same end, like a stack of plates. Example: Undo feature in text editors.

• Queues: Elements are added at the rear and removed from the front, like a line of people waiting. Example: Print queue in a printer.