Software Developer Mock Interview

Master 30 Software Developer interview questions covering algorithms, system design, and coding challenges.

WRITTEN BY TOM DUSHAJ
QUESTION 5 OF 30

Based on your experience, what's the best way to find a node that begins with two single link lists?

The easiest way I can demonstrate the types of linked lists is to break them down by an example of how it is used in a Java development environment. The reason I am using Java as an example is if most development environments use Java. Before we do that, let me explain what a link list is in Java. Java, as a well-known programming language, focuses on code reusability through concepts like classes and objects. A class, in simple terms, is a template for an object. While you have the option of building your own custom classes for a linked list implementation, Java offers a convenient built-in Linked List class that allows you to implement a linked list in Java.

Here are the three types of link lists:
Single Linked List (Uni-Directional)
Double Linked List (Bi-Directional)
Circular Linked List

You will find that interviewers like to ask candidates about the various methods to find nodes and link lists. Don't be surprised if this question comes up a couple of times in an interview but is asked differently. To get a broader understanding of linked lists, here's an overview: A linked list is easiest explained as a linear data structure with the collection of multiple nodes, where each element stores its own data and a pointer to the location of the next element. The last link is essentially a linked list that points to null, which indicates it's at the end of a chain. An element, on the other hand, in a linked list is called a node. The first of the nodes is called the head, and the last of the nodes is called the tail. An interviewer will likely dig into questions about linear data structure and which nodes contain a value and pointer.

"The best example I can give is to list the most important properties of a class Linked List. This highlights how they are used and why they are used.

A Linked List maintains an insertion order of the elements.
Implements Queue and Deque interfaces. These can also be used as a Queue, Deque, or Stack.
A Linked List can contain all the elements, including but not limited to duplicates and null.
A Java Linked List Class library is not synchronized, which means in a multi-threaded environment, it must be synchronized concurrently for external modifications to the linked list.
A Linked List Class doesn't implement a Random Access interface so that elements can be accessed in sequential order.
I can use a List Iterator to iterate elements of the list
I can use a collections synchronized List (new Linked List) to get a synchronized linked list."

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30 Software Developer Interview Questions & Answers

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01 Explain how duplicates are removed from an array without using a library? TECHNICAL 02 What method do you use to find the missing number in an integer array of 1 to 100? TECHNICAL 03 Tell me how you find duplicate numbers in an array in Java containing multiple duplicates? TECHNICAL 04 How do you find the starting node of a cycle if a link contains a cycle? TECHNICAL 05 Based on your experience, what's the best way to find a node that begins with two single link lists? TECHNICAL 06 How do you approach implementing an LRU Cache in your favorite programming language? TECHNICAL 07 What is your experience with implementing a Binary Search Algorithm without recursion? TECHNICAL 08 Can you walk me through the meaning behind a Depth First Search Algorithm for a binary tree? TECHNICAL 09 Describe how do you implement an insertion sort algorithm, and what's the easiest way to do it? TECHNICAL 10 Tell me the difference between a Comparison and Non-Comparison Sorting Algorithm? TECHNICAL 11 Can you list for me the important categories of software development? TECHNICAL 12 Describe at a high level what the software development life cycle process is. TECHNICAL 13 What is verification and validation, and why it is important? TECHNICAL 14 As a software developer, explain the meaning of debugging, and why it's used? TECHNICAL 15 Do you have a preferred language that you like to write programming algorithms? OPERATIONAL 16 What is software scope, and what does the process involve? OPERATIONAL 17 How would you define software configuration management? OPERATIONAL 18 What is your opinion on a feasibility study, and when should it be done? OPERATIONAL 19 As part of software development, were you involved with working on functional and non-functional requirements? OPERATIONAL 20 Talk about the differences between structured English and Pseudo Code? TECHNICAL 21 Making a comparison, how would you differentiate between Quality Assurance and Quality Control? OPERATIONAL 22 What software development process do you prefer to use? OPERATIONAL 23 I’ve heard applications referred to as both software and programs. Which terminology do you use, and how do these differ? GENERAL 24 What are some of the types of development projects you have worked on in your past positions? GENERAL 25 What are some of the software design patterns that you use, and in what situations do you use them? OPERATIONAL 26 Can you describe a challenging software development project you recently completed and the results? GENERAL 27 Are you familiar with Agile and Waterfall? Which of these software development methodologies do you prefer? OPERATIONAL 28 What are some of the QA processes you are familiar with and have worked with in the past? OPERATIONAL 29 What are some of the testing and debugging processes you use in your software development? OPERATIONAL 30 How much do you know about object-oriented programming? TECHNICAL
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Tom Dushaj
30 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
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