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I have no idea either. I can easily look it up though. You can often tell an inexperienced interviewer from the extremely domain specific question they ask which _they_ are familiar with.

▲ ctkhn 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

There are some absolutely ridiculous qs I've been asked like this and they've all had no followup question to illuminate why it would have been relevant 1. what version of java do you use? we used 8 at the time 2. what is the engine and version underneath your sql db?this was not for a dba role, just standard backend engineer 3. why did you use python instead of r for x project? this was about a gui automation script

▲ Clubber 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

>You can often tell an inexperienced interviewer from the extremely domain specific question they ask which _they_ are familiar with.

Lol a bit touchy aren't we?

Like I said, it's not really relevant in today's languages. It was for a Delphi/Pascal position. If you do any type of database code (like T-SQL), you would also know it. If your experience is mainly in C type languages, everything is a function so it doesn't apply.

If you hired a guy for a Delphi position who didn't know the difference between a function and a procedure, you hired the wrong guy.

  procedure Hello;
  begin
    ShowMessage ('Hello world!');
  end;

  function Double (Value: Integer) : Integer;
  begin
    Double := Value * 2;
  end;

Function or procedure is defined in every subroutine. It's a very basic question for Delphi, like what's the difference between an integer and a string.

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alexjplant 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

> Our "gotcha," which doesn't apply to most languages anymore is, "What's the difference between a function and a procedure." It's a one sentence answer, but people who didn't know it would give some pretty enlightening answers.

If you're asking this question (by virtue of the present-tense "is") in the year 2025 even though by your own admission

> it's not really relevant in today's languages.

then you aren't giving candidates a good impression. Even though I would have nailed this question I would have serious reservations about any job that would ask it in an interview because it means that the person interviewing me has more concern for legacy minutiae than broad technical knowledge or problem-solving skills.

	▲	Clubber 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Ya sorry, this was way back in the late 90s-early 00s. It's still only relevant in SQL dev.

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dennis_jeeves2 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

>Lol a bit touchy aren't we?

No. I just looked up other responses to your post. It's obvious you got exposed as being inexperienced (or an idiot), while posing to know the definitive with your "gotcha". Being inexperienced (or ignorant) is not a problem, but being cocky is.

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Clubber 2 days ago | parent [-]

I think you're projecting. You aren't posting this using your real name are you?!

Here's something to consider, Dennis. Instead of using any type of reasoning that maybe I'm interviewing for a language you aren't familiar with where functions and procedure differences matter, you decided to just go off the handle and call me inexperienced and/or an idiot. This is what we call in the hiring business a "huge red flag." I recommend maybe use some of that big brain you have and apply some deductive reasoning instead of just calling people names.

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dennis_jeeves2 a day ago | parent [-]

Look up my other responses - I decided to call you names _later_ . Other people also pointed that out to you. I'm sure you would thick twice before asking your 'gotcha' again (the question is fine in general but not as a gotcha).

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Clubber a day ago | parent [-]

>>You can often tell an inexperienced interviewer from the extremely domain specific question they ask which _they_ are familiar with.

>Lol a bit touchy aren't we?

You lost your composure and decided to start calling names after this. I haven't asked it since the late 90s, early 2000s. It was a for a Delphi position. It's a bonehead easy question any Delphi developer who got to chapter 2 of any Delphi book would have understood. It's still an applicable question for a SQL developer and it's just as easy. I even showed you sample code. I don't see why you aren't getting it.

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dennis_jeeves2 a day ago | parent [-]

I'm not getting it, I also see that 2 other people are also not getting it.

>I haven't asked it since the late 90s, early 2000s.

You overall gave the impression that you are currently asking it.

And a personal rhetorical question - aren't you too old to even state this 'gotcha' business _today_ about what you did in the past? What made you state it? If I gave you the benefit of doubt - that was slip, where you omitted the past tense.

(If I did that in the 90's I'd be a embarrassed to even mention it today.)

	▲	Clubber a day ago \| parent [-]
		>I'm not getting it, I also see that 2 other people are also not getting it. Yes, but you're the only one who threw a tantrum. Enjoy your career.

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dennis_jeeves2 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I think you are missing my point.

Words like functions/procedures tend to have different connotations across languages and once one crosses one's 15th language, and each having some 20 different keywords, it become difficult to remember what the exact connotation of a word is, in a specific language/framework. This is the most likely situation of the guy whose post I responded to.

The exception to the rule is, if you have been working quite a bit _recently_ on a specific language. You are presumably talking about this situation.