Concurrent Programming Interviews: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Standout Candidate

by Bonan Liu

Overview

Ace your software engineering job interviews by preparing yourself for the concurrent programming rounds. This book fills the gap in practical resources designated for concurrency interview prep. It simplifies complex concepts in C++ and provides example questions to help you approach your interview with confidence.

Today, interviews for software engineering roles typically include several different rounds: coding, system design, behavioral, and domain knowledge. The domain knowledge round can vary based on the job description, but one extremely common focus is concurrent programming. While not intended to be a comprehensive reference, this book distills the essential interview insights drawn from author Bonan Liu’s personal experiences to stand out from the competition. Key topics include mutexes and locks, condition variables, thread abstraction, STL features, and lock-free implementations, with each concept reinforced through practical exercises like building a file handler cache and implementing read/write locks.

Software interviews are more than just exams; they are hours-long conversations with real people. You'll not only develop a solid understanding of concurrency, but also learn how to best showcase your expertise to enhance your performance throughout the entire process, including general coding rounds.

What You Will Learn

• Acquire foundational knowledge of concurrent programming in C++.
• Practice relevant interview questions for each section of this knowledge.
• Develop strategies for best demonstrating learned skills in the general coding round.

Who This Book Is For

Software engineers seeking new career opportunities, particularly SDE II, Senior SDE, and Staff SDE roles. Interviewers might also gain insight into concurrent programming to enhance the evaluation of their candidates, securing top talent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798868811982
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	02/14/2025
Series:	Apress Pocket Guides
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	932 KB

About the Author

Bonan Liu is a software engineer specializing in distributed systems, cloud computing and backend development. He began his tech career after earning a Master’s degree in computer science from Columbia University, following his graduation from Sichuan University in China.

Bonan's professional journey includes working alongside talented colleagues at Uber, Google, Microsoft, and Cruise, where he contributed to various large-scale, high-performance systems. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with others. Bonan served as an Adjunct Lecturer at The City University of New York from 2019 to 2020, teaching cloud computing to undergraduate students. Additionally, Bonan translated the Chinese edition of Cracking the Coding Interview (6th edition), helping aspiring programmers in China achieve their career goals.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Bonan is an avid runner, participating in events from 5Ks to full marathons. He lives in New York City with his wife and their two beloved cats, who bring joy and laughter to their home.

Table of Contents

1. Fundamentals of Concurrent Programming for Technical Interviews.- 2. Building Block 1: Mutexes and Locks.- 3. Building Block 2: Condition Variables.- 4. Building Block 3: More Thread Abstractions.- 5. Building Block 4: More STL features.- 6. Building Block 5: Lock-free Approach.-7. Testing, Troubleshooting and Useful Resources.- 8. Concurrent Programming in General Coding Interviews.