Can you discuss responsive design and the differences between fixed and fluid layouts?
Interviewers believe that senior software engineers can work on various development projects. These include commercial applications, internal software programs, and website designs. Developing software for websites is a specialized skill that is in high demand. Senior software developers with experience in this area who can address issues related to website design, performance, and programming applications are more likely to be asked for an interview and offered roles within the organization.
"Responsive design involves creating websites that look and function the same across many different devices. These sites use application queries, image scaling, wrapping text, and adjusting layouts to ensure that the website will look good on devices including cell phones, tablets, and desktop computers. Responsive designs take advantage of fluid layouts, which use percentages instead of fixed indicators for the placement of objects within the website and the definition of the site's width. This differs from fixed designs that rely on fixed pixel widths and specific positions for the objects."
When answering questions about specific elements of software development, don't assume that the interviewer has a technical background. Use simple, easy-to-understand language that anybody in the organization can understand and relate to. Make sure not to use any industry jargon, acronyms, or phrases that people from other parts of the organization may not be familiar with. Of course, if you're speaking with your prospective supervisor or a peer from the software development team, you can use more technical language with confidence.
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Anonymous Answer
Responsive design enables a website to look and function the same on different devices with different aspect ratios, such as a computer vs a phone. Single Page Applications, for example, will utilize responsive design by using fluid layouts which set percentages to scale the width and height of dom elements instead of a fixed layout that relies on specific dimensions of pixels. Fixed layouts are not used as much these days since most smart devices are capable of browsing the web and would require the website to detect the dimensions and aspect ratio of a particular device and load the appropriate fixed layout. The fluid layout allows the client-side code to be simple and condensed to a single (or at least fewer) manageable layout files.
Amanda's Feedback
Fantastic! You are doing a great job explaining software engineering concepts in a relatable and concise way that shows your level of confidence in working with various layouts or programming aspects.
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