My first instinct was to reach for something overly clever, like building a class hierarchy for each instruction type.
Start by clarifying the language specification and edge cases, then outline a simple interpreter architecture with a tokenizer/parser if needed, or direct execution. Implement a loop that processes each instruction, maintaining a variable environment, and handle PRINT by outputting the variable's value.
Pro tip: Discuss trade-offs between a simple switch-based interpreter and a more extensible design using a dispatch table or command pattern, showing awareness of maintainability and performance.
Ask about the exact syntax, variable naming rules, error handling, and whether instructions are case-sensitive. Confirm input/output format and any constraints.
Decide on a simple loop-based interpreter or a more modular design with separate parsing and execution phases. Consider extensibility for future commands.
Create a data structure for variables (e.g., hash map) and a dispatcher for commands. For each instruction, parse the operation and arguments, then execute accordingly.
Define behavior for undefined variables, invalid commands, and type mismatches. Implement error reporting or graceful handling as appropriate.
Write test cases covering basic operations, edge cases, and error conditions. Verify output matches expectations and discuss potential optimizations.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.