InterSystems ObjectScript Specialist

Object-oriented programming, SQL for application data access, ObjectScript specifics, InterSystems IRIS specific technologies

The InterSystems ObjectScript Specialist exam is designed to validate core skills for developers who build applications using ObjectScript and other InterSystems technologies.

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Exam Details

Target Exam Role

An IT professional who:

Is familiar with object-oriented programming concepts
Uses InterSystems ObjectScript programming language, including objects and SQL, for data access

Recommended Practical Experience

At least 1 year of experience writing and executing ObjectScript code using InterSystems technologies.

Recommended Preparation

Classroom course: Developing with InterSystems Objects and SQL (classroom, 5 days)
Online learning resources:
- Testing non-Functional Requirements in Applications (video, 20m)
- Building a Server Side Application with InterSystems (learning path, 5h 30m)
Review the following related content in InterSystems Documentation:
Review the set of practice questions.

Exam Parameters

Number of questions: 87
Time allotted to take exam: 2.5 hours
Passing score: 72%
Language offered: English
Exam format:  Multiple choice and multiple response.Access to InterSystems Documentation will be available during the exam.

Exam Topics and Content

The exam contains question items that cover the areas for the stated role as shown in the KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) chart immediately below.

TOPICS/KNOWLEDGE	SECTION/SKILLS	ABILITIES
T1 Manages Data Model	T1.1 Uses classes	Identifies use cases for persistent and registered object classes Creates and saves a persistent object Deletes objects Interprets storage definitions Implements multiple inheritance Documents classes
	T1. 2. Creates properties, indexes, and other class members	Sets max length for string properties Uses stream properties for large data sets Creates properties that calculate values dynamically or are auto-updated (e.g., a timestamp for last updated) Creates and validates class member parameters and attributes Selects appropriate index type based on data distribution Uses unique index methods Recalls how foreign keys enforce referential integrity
	T1.3 Creates ObjectScript methods	Differentiates between instance and class methods Uses class parameters inside methods Specifies method arguments and return type Passes objects to methods Passes variables by reference Passes multidimensional variables by reference Uses and overrides inherited methods Determines when to use ##super for calling superclass methods
	T1.4 Uses complex structures	Creates dynamic objects/arrays (JSON)  Uses stream objects of the appropriate type
T2 Applies basic programming concepts to InterSystemsObjectScript and SQL	T2.1 Ensures data integrity	Manages transactions Manages rollbacks Describes how LOCKs enforce concurrency Describes lock escalation threshold and effect on row locks versus table locks Differentiates between pessimistic and optimistic concurrency controls Uses transactions and applies concurrency controls in SQL scripts
	T2.2 Tracks application data	Locates and accesses applicationglobals Uses logging to track application data Adds and tracks metrics for performance monitoring
	T2.3 Implements security features when writing code	Ensures appropriate variable and global use to avoid security leaks Checks roles for permission control Prevents SQL injection attacks Implements embedded SQL permission checks
T3 Identifies and leverages features unique to InterSystems IRIS	T3.1 Differentiates between different storage media in InterSystems IRIS	Differentiates between PPGs, variables, temporary globals, andglobals
	T3.2 Leverages InterSystems ObjectScript and SQL features	Identifies ObjectScript as a weakly typed language and contrasts its usage with strongly typed languages Uses system macros and include files Describes how object structures are projected to SQL tables Differentiates between Embedded and Dynamic SQL Differentiates between runtime and select modes, and enforces the correct mode Uses SQL variables such as ROWID and SQLCODE
	T3.3 Handles nulls	Manages $C(0) in SQL and ObjectScript
	T3.4 Handles schema evolution	Adds indexes to existing properties Describes the impact of changing the name and datatype of a property with existing data Describes consequences of purging cached queries after schema changes
	T3.5 Ensures scalability and performance	Uses TUNE TABLE to optimize performance Interprets basic query plans Tests code correctness and performance in non-functional tests
T4 Uses ObjectScript functions and APIs for common operations	T4.1 Traverses and sorts arrays	Describes how subscripts are sorted within an array Traverses subset of a subscript using $ORDER Traverse multi-level variables using $ORDER Checks the existence of array nodes with $DATA
	T4.2 Manipulates and processes lists	Uses $LIST to insert/update/delete elements in a list Retrieves and iterates through elements in a list using $LISTGET and $LISTNEXT Converts between lists and strings
	T4.3 Manipulates strings	Uses $PIECE to extract and manipulate delimited strings Uses $EXTRACT to retrieve substrings Uses $REPLACE, $TRANSLATE, and $ZSTRIP to manipulate strings Interpolates strings Uses regular expressions to search and replace patterns in strings Uses $ZCONVERT to escape and encode strings Recalls how to escape special characters within strings
	T4.4 Performs mathematical, logical, date, and time operations	Uses mathematical operators  Uses logical operators Formats dates and times (e.g., uses $ZDATE, $ZTIME, and $HOROLOG) Performs arithmetic operations on date/time values
	T4.5 Uses decision and control structures	Uses post-conditionals to control which commands are executed Distinguishes between the quit and return commands
	T4.6 Executes and queries methods and objects	Executes methods with $METHOD and $CLASSMETHOD Uses %IsA and %ClassName to obtain information about existing objects Uses %Dictionary to inspect class definitions
	T4.7 Uses APIs for common operations	Reads and writes files with %Streampackage Uses %Net to make HTTP requests, transfer files securely, and send emails
T5 Handles and resolves errors in InterSystems IRIS	T5.1 Uses InterSystems IRIS supported troubleshooting tools	Uses tools provided in InterSystems IRIS for monitoring code performance Interprets class compilation errors
	T5.2 Handles and logs runtime errors	Uses TRY-CATCH to handle runtime errors Throws and handles exceptions in ObjectScript Reviews application error log for runtime failures Uses $STACK to analyze and trace runtime errors Converts error status codes to readable messages Differentiates between statuses and exceptions when troubleshooting
	T5.3 Diagnoses and debugs common runtime errors	Diagnoses and debugs <SUBSCRIPT> errors Diagnoses and debugs <PROTECT> errors Diagnoses and debugs <FRAMESTACK> errors  Diagnoses and debugs <UNDEFINED> errors