• rhythmk (9/18/2012)


    Recently I attended an interview for a role of Senior SQL Developer and I wondered the kind of questions panel asked.Here are few of them.

    1.How many columns a SQL table can hold.

    2.How many string functions are there in SQL.

    3.How many non-clustered indexes a SQL table can have.

    4.What is the port to be used to connect SQL DB server.

    Then they started asking questions on syntax of SQL function.

    At last to stop them I just denied to reply the question by saying that why are you hiring me better to have a Google search for that 🙂

    Forgive me for saying this but I think you miss the point.

    You say the position is for a Senior Developer so I think the clue is in the title of the position.

    I don't think your interviewers were interested in exact numbers to be honest but perhaps they were looking for answers along the following lines? (I didn't google any of these so please feel free to have a go at me for my lack of knowledge but then again, I never claimed to be a Senior SQL Developer!):

    1.How many columns a SQL table can hold.

    Answer: Lots! LOL.. no really for an exact answer we can look in BOL but surely it depends on the data stored in the columns and the data types of the columns.

    2.How many string functions are there in SQL.

    I don't know the exact number but I can sure name a few of them, LEN, SUBSTRING, CHARINDEX, STUFF, REPLICATE etc.. etc...

    3.How many non-clustered indexes a SQL table can have.

    Again, I don't know the exact number but this also depends on the size of your table and disk space available etc...

    4.What is the port to be used to connect SQL DB server.

    Anyone who claims to be a Senior Developer should really know this. But knowing the default port number and explaining why this should be changed in the context of security would prove to your interviewers that you know what you're talking about.

    My 2 cents/pence 😉

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