Laziness is a virtue. So are Impatience and Hubris – Larry Wall in the first edition of Programming perl.
Nearly 3 decades after reading this statement, I still remember it.
The essence of automation.
- You write automated scripts to test functions because you do not want to repeat boring repetitive tests again and again.
- You want to write yourself a mini language so that you spend less time solving lower order problems.
- You want to script/configure everything possible so that you can leave the mundane stuff to the machine and focus on identifying and solving problems better.
But programmers need a lot more. The ability to:
- Persist when there are problems
- Learn and learn well
- Reflect on problems and solutions and constant improvements
- Communicate with peers and share knowledge
But most of all, they need curiosity and the ability to question every assumption.