interview question on servlets.

[chad stevens]

The question was how to upload a file using a servlet, encoding type. I believe I answered wrong, now how bad does this look?
I answered most others right, for example how to do a forward and include from a jsp to a servlet.

[Al Caplan]

Chad
Honestly, it could go either way. It depends on what the interviewer was looking for. Myself, I admire an interviewee who can say 'i don't know' while being interviewed. This was what, 1 out of how many questions?

[chad stevens]

Hi Al.
Thanks for your concern. I think this one I blew and also the code for a cookie, in which I really haven't used in a few years and I mention it. I got the pure Java questions quite right, such as polymorphism, overriding and overloading, interfaces, but I did answer 2 servlet ones wrong and a database one. I was a little nervous when I noticed the interviewer didn't look friendly, no hello or how are you, just ok I will ask you some tech questions, here it goes.........
I did say I didn't know the answer to the database question but it seemed to be a logical one and I told him what I thought it was because I may have come across it but seeing I wasn't a DBA, then my job was to forward this to the DBA but from what I remembered best in the description, I told him and he seemed ok with it. I don't know what to make of it.

[Manish Hatwalne]

Some of the questions I faced -
1. Single thread model
2. JSP/Servlet interaction
3. Can two servlets operating in two diff servlet contexts share a session?
4. How to change content type from HTML to say WML?
5. Few tomcat config questions, typically how to change port, URL mapping etc.
6. Role of a servlet in MVC architecture.
7. Why Servlets when you can have JSP?
More later...
HTH,
- Manish

[chad stevens]

Thanks Manish, that's more detailed than I thought! If you have any others, let me know I have a second one tomorrow.

[Abadula Joshi]

Originally posted by chad stevens:
The question was how to upload a file using a servlet, encoding type. I believe I answered wrong, now how bad does this look?
I answered most others right, for example how to do a forward and include from a jsp to a servlet.

it depends on "how" wrong it is -- if it shows you have some fundamental wrong concept, it is bad; if it is just some details, no big deal (if the interviewer is not that short visioned).

[chad stevens]

Manish,
For your question number 3, I assume the question is no but you can access values of the variables in a different session indirectly using the "application context."

[chad stevens]

Abadula,
I basically said I didn't know but to use a doGet but that in itself may be wrong.

[Reeta Sinha]

Hi,
Its nice to hear that you are receiving interview calls atleast. If you don't mind can I ask you about a summary of your credentials and experience.
I am a little disappointed here as a java developer with 3 yrs of industry experience, sun certification for java developer a MS in software engineering I have been trying for last 6 months and have not received any phone calls or emails or any other responses. I kind of thinking what should I do where all my efforts are in vain.Am I not qualified enough to get a response?
I would greatly appreciate if any one could please guide me about this situation. thanks in advance.
a disappointed java developer.

[Aruna Raghavan]

Hi Reeta,
I think you are very qualified. My observation has been that in the current market, it's best go through your contacts that you network with to find a job. Whatever few jobs are being posted, they are being given to whoever the existing employees bring in. It is deemed to be a safe way to bring a new person aboard because that new hire will work better with the team etc. etc.
Aruna.