Extra! Extra! Automation Declared Software! - Paul Grizzaffi

Breaking news! Automation development is software development. Yeah, it’s true. Even if we are using a drag-and-drop or record-and-playback interface to create that automation, somewhere, in the stack, under the hood or behind the curtain, there is code sequenced by our actions. We must start treating our automation initiatives as software development initiatives, lest we end up in a quagmire of unsustainability and early project death.

Automation activities that aren’t treated as software activities run the risk of being underestimated, delivered late, and being difficult to maintain; each of these scenarios takes a bite out of our budget. Join us as our speaker explains why automation really is software and the key points of software development that we should keep in mind when creating automation software, such as encapsulation, abstraction, DRY, and YAGNI.

Takeaways:

• Treat automation development as software development
• Where appropriate, follow the lead of software development teams’ practices such as coding standards and code review
• Code documentation should tell “why”, not “what” or “how”
• Focus on minimizing maintenance