Interview questions in Frontend Dev, page 7
Explain key or trackBy in list rendering and index key risks
Your understanding of virtual DOM reconciliation and stable element identity. A good answer covers that key binds DOM state to data identity, and that index keys break reordering by recycling wrong components.
What is the purpose of the implements keyword?
Tests compile-time contract enforcement in TypeScript. Explain that implements checks class-to-interface compatibility at compile time with no runtime overhead, then code a CacheService with get and set methods.
How would you create a styled Button accepting a variant prop
It tests prop interpolation for dynamic styling in CSS-in-JS. Good answers use styled.button with a function reading props.variant to map CSS rules in one component. A red flag is splitting into separate components per variant or using inline styles.
Key differences between responsive and adaptive design, and when to choose adaptive
It tests layout strategy trade-offs beyond media queries. A strong answer contrasts responsive fluid grids with adaptive device-specific layouts. Red flag: claiming they are identical or that adaptive means more breakpoints.
How do you pass markup from a parent to a child component?
This tests declarative composition for UI reuse. A strong answer covers default and named slot syntax in Vue/Svelte (slot outlet, v-slot) or Angular ng-content with select for named projection.
Difference between abstract class and interface, with scenario
Tests if you know when shared state or constructor logic justifies single inheritance. A strong answer contrasts erased interfaces with base classes, then names a scenario requiring enforced initialization.
Implement a light/dark theming system with CSS-in-JS and React Context
This tests React Context architecture with CSS-in-JS theme injection. Strong answers include: a Theme Context with mode and toggle; ThemeProvider at the app root; consumption via useTheme or props.theme.
Build a responsive 3-column layout with Flexbox and Grid
Tests whether you pick right tool for responsive layouts. Good answers use flex-wrap and flex-basis for Flexbox, repeat() or grid-template-areas for Grid, in min-width 768px query. Red flag: desktop-first max-width queries or claiming Grid replaces Flexbox.
Runtime CSS-in-JS performance pitfalls in SSR Next.js
Runtime libs serialize styles per render, need style collection on the server, risk FOUC and double work in App Router.
Why does todos.push miss Svelte updates but spread works?
Tests compile-time versus runtime reactivity. Answer: Svelte's compiler instruments assignments, not method calls, so push is invisible; Vue Proxies and Angular Zone.js both intercept push to trigger updates.
What is the polymorphic this type in TypeScript?
This tests polymorphic this for type-safe fluent APIs. A strong answer defines this as the current instance type, implements CSSBuilder methods that return this for chaining, and notes subclass preservation.
How would you use srcset and sizes for responsive image performance?
This tests responsive image selection in the browser. A strong answer covers srcset with w or x descriptors, sizes for layout width hints, and the browser picking before CSS loads. Red flag: suggesting JS detection or CSS backgrounds instead.
Implementing the Singleton pattern in TypeScript
Private constructor blocks new, a static private instance field caches it, static getInstance lazily creates and returns the one instance.
What's the difference between Angular property and attribute binding?
Tests whether you know Angular binds to DOM properties by default. [disabled] sets a DOM property; [attr.role] sets an HTML attribute. Use attribute binding when no DOM property exists, such as SVG attributes or role. Red flag: claiming they are equivalent.
CSS Custom Properties vs JS Theme Object in React
Tests render overhead vs CSS cascade. Strong answers: CSS variables update styles without re-renders, while JS theme objects in Context force subtree re-renders. Mention scoping, SSR FOUC, and setProperty interop.
Explain advantages of rem and em over px in responsive design
This tests cascading font scaling and accessibility. Strong answers mention user zoom, root-level rem control, component em scaling, and avoiding px fragmentation. Red flag: claiming px handles all user preferences automatically.
How does Angular OnPush change detection affect rendering?
This tests change detection tree knowledge. OnPush skips checks unless inputs change by reference, events fire, or async pipes mark for check. Mutated objects or manual subscriptions without markForCheck cause silent misses.
What is getElementById's return type and the check needed for .value?
Tests strict null awareness: getElementById returns HTMLElement or null, so null-check first. Strong answers note HTMLElement lacks .value, requiring narrowing to HTMLInputElement. Red flag: assuming a valid element is always returned.
What is the fundamental difference between client-side and server-side routing?
Server routes return full documents and reload; client routes swap JS views and use the History API without server requests.
What are CSS container queries and what problem do they solve?
This tests component-level responsive awareness. A strong answer states container queries style elements based on their container size, letting components adapt regardless of viewport. Red flag: believing media queries alone solve component context adaptation.
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