HSBC Software Development Interview Questions and Answers

Automate backup of files modified in the last 24 hours using Unix commands for efficient data management.

• Use the 'find' command to locate files modified in the last 24 hours: `find /path/to/source -type f -mtime -1`.

• Combine 'find' with 'cp' to copy these files to a backup directory: `find /path/to/source -type f -mtime -1 -exec cp {} /path/to/backup/ \;`.

• Consider using 'tar' to create a compressed archive of the m...read more

Python provides a straightforward way to calculate the factorial of a number using recursion or iteration.

• Recursive Approach: A function calls itself to calculate the factorial. Example: def factorial(n): return n * factorial(n-1) if n > 1 else 1.

• Iterative Approach: Using a loop to calculate the factorial. Example: def factorial(n): result = 1; for i in range(2, n+1): result *= i; return result.

• Built-in Functio...read more

Ansible is an open-source automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.

• Agentless architecture: Ansible operates over SSH, eliminating the need for agent installation on target machines.

• Playbooks: Ansible uses YAML-based playbooks to define automation tasks, making it easy to read and write.

• Idempotency: Ansible ensures that tasks are only applied when necessary, preventi...read more

Ansible stores results using variables, registered outputs, and facts for later use in playbooks.

• Use the 'register' keyword to store the output of a task: e.g., 'command: echo Hello | register: hello_output'.

• Access registered variables later in the playbook using '{{ hello_output.stdout }}'.

• Utilize 'set_fact' to create or modify variables dynamically during playbook execution.

• Store results in a JSON file using 'co...read more

The four pillars of OOP are encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction, essential for object-oriented programming.

• Encapsulation: Bundling data and methods that operate on the data within one unit (e.g., a class).

• Inheritance: Mechanism to create a new class using properties and methods of an existing class (e.g., a 'Dog' class inheriting from an 'Animal' class).

• Polymorphism: Ability to present the sa...read more

Different types of payments include cash, credit/debit cards, checks, bank transfers, and mobile payments.

• Cash: Physical currency used for transactions.

• Credit/Debit Cards: Electronic payments using cards issued by financial institutions.

• Checks: Written orders to pay a specific amount from a bank account.

• Bank Transfers: Direct transfer of funds between bank accounts.

• Mobile Payments: Payments made using mobile devic...read more

ACID properties ensure reliable transactions in a DBMS: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability.

• Atomicity: Transactions are all-or-nothing. Example: If a bank transfer fails, no money is deducted.

• Consistency: Transactions must leave the database in a valid state. Example: A transaction should not violate integrity constraints.

• Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not affect each other. Example: Two users can...read more

API testing using Postman involves sending requests to APIs and validating responses.

• Create a new request in Postman and enter the API endpoint

• Add headers, parameters, and body if necessary

• Send the request and check the response for correctness

• Use Postman's testing features to automate validation