The last interview I did was for an electronics design role, so I asked the applicants to compare two datasheets for different kinds of transistors and determine which applications would benefit from one versus the other.
For software the closest thing to a component's datasheet would be documentation for a library or API, although it isn't the best stand-in, because unlike software, hardware has documentation that is thorough and correct.
It was an effective question, because it made it immediately clear which applicants understood why they made the choices they were making. I came up with the question because it was one I knew a less-capable coworker I was currently working with wouldn't have passed.
If nothing else, think of someone you don't want to work with, due to a lack of capability or understanding, and try to come up with a challenge that coworker would fail at.
For software the closest thing to a component's datasheet would be documentation for a library or API, although it isn't the best stand-in, because unlike software, hardware has documentation that is thorough and correct.
It was an effective question, because it made it immediately clear which applicants understood why they made the choices they were making. I came up with the question because it was one I knew a less-capable coworker I was currently working with wouldn't have passed.
If nothing else, think of someone you don't want to work with, due to a lack of capability or understanding, and try to come up with a challenge that coworker would fail at.