Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Automate like a superhero

I can't help but wonder how would Batman write automation?

First off Batman would know the technology stack like the streets and buildings of Gotham. Batman spends hours studying structural, electrical, maintenance diagrams of the buildings, sewer, water and power systems. How does this translate into knowing the technology stack? Knowing the stack would allow him to pick the best solution from his utility belt for each problem that presented itself so he could write a script or design a program that would not only handle current needs but also leave him in a good position for his next move.

Second, his never ending utility belt and all his cool toys in the the Bat: car, plane, boat and bike. Batman doesn't just make 1 Batarang, he has a multitude of different Batarangs and more than one of each. A sharp Batarang for cutting power lines, an explosive Batarang for taking out support columns, and so on. This means the more tools, Frameworks, API's, languages and patterns you can learn can learn the better your Batarangs are going to be.  Batman did automation he would work smart not hard.

Third Batman is not going to take orders from Superman, if anything he's going to do the opposite of what Superman thinks is a good idea. This is because Superman is a typical hammer and as a hammer all he see's is nails. You wouldn't expect a Web UI developer to drop everything and start doing client applications without a problem. Thats because they're different disciplines. Sure there are some similarities, they both fight crime, but thats about it! Superman can't ask Batman to use super strength to get out of problems and Batman can't ask Superman to think his way out of problems. The Web UI developer and the client application developer can share ideas and metaphors but without knowledge and experience one can not design or architect for the other  unless they want to be driving screws with a hammers.

So after reading all this you're thinking why would Batman do automation, after all Billionaire Bruce Wayne could easily buy every outsourced manual QA team in every developing nation. But you forget Batman refuses to use manual QA because his parents were killed in an alley by manual Tester when he was just 8 years old. It was this event more than any other drove him to become the Batman.

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