ZF India Technology Center Software Engineer Interview Questions, Process, and Tips

Smart pointers are objects that store a pointer to dynamically allocated memory and provide automatic memory management.

• Smart pointers help prevent memory leaks by automatically releasing memory when the pointer is no longer needed.

• Examples include unique_ptr, shared_ptr, and weak_ptr in C++.

• unique_ptr is used for exclusive ownership, shared_ptr for shared ownership, and weak_ptr to break circular references.

A lambda function is a small anonymous function defined in a single line of code without a name.

• Lambda functions are often used in programming languages that support functional programming.

• They are commonly used for short, simple operations that do not require a named function.

• Lambda functions can take any number of arguments but can only have one expression.

• Example: lambda x: x*2 defines a lambda function that doubles

Threading is a way for a program to split itself into multiple simultaneous tasks.

• Threading allows for parallel execution of tasks within a program.

• Each thread has its own stack and runs independently of other threads.

• Threads can communicate with each other and share resources.

• Example: A web server handling multiple client requests concurrently using threads.

Lambda function is an anonymous function in programming that can have multiple parameters and can be used as an argument to other functions.

• Lambda functions are also known as anonymous functions because they do not have a name.

• They are often used for short, one-time tasks that do not require a separate function definition.

• Lambda functions can take multiple parameters and return a single value.

• Example: lambda x, y: x + ...read more

Structure is a collection of variables of different data types while union is a collection of variables of same data type.

• Structure allocates memory for all its variables while union allocates memory for only one variable at a time.

• Structure is used when we want to store different types of data while union is used when we want to store only one type of data.

• Structure is accessed using dot operator while union is access...read more

Dangling pointers can be avoided by setting them to NULL after freeing the memory they point to.

• Always initialize pointers to NULL.

• Set pointers to NULL after freeing the memory they point to.

• Avoid accessing memory through a pointer after it has been freed.

• Use smart pointers or garbage collection to automate memory management.

A program to print Fibonacci series using recursion.

• Define a recursive function that takes an integer n as input

• Base case: if n is 0 or 1, return n

• Recursive case: return the sum of the previous two Fibonacci numbers

• Call the recursive function with the desired number of terms and print the result

A Watchdog timer is a hardware or software mechanism that automatically resets or restarts a device if it stops responding or functioning properly.

• Watchdog timer is used to prevent system crashes or freezes by monitoring the system and resetting it if necessary.

• It is commonly used in embedded systems, where reliability is crucial.

• The timer needs to be periodically reset by the software to prevent the system from resett...read more

A compiler is a software program that translates code written in a high-level programming language into machine code.

• Converts high-level code to machine code

• Checks for syntax errors

• Optimizes code for better performance

• Examples: GCC, Clang, Visual C++

Volatile memory is temporary memory that loses its data when power is turned off.

• Volatile memory requires constant power to retain data

• Examples include RAM (Random Access Memory) and cache memory

• Data stored in volatile memory is lost when the device is turned off