Pedestrian Light?
Knowing when things go wrong is crucial for any company, and FinoComp is certainly no exception. As part of our mission to produce top quality software, our whole team needs to be notified when an issue is detected in our builds.
To this end, we have combined cutting edge technology with FinoComp flair to create the Continuous Integration Pedestrian Light.
Red Man, Green Man
The concept is quite simple: For every code change made to our software, thousands of automated tests are executed to verify that everything is working as expected. If all tests pass, the green man light is automatically switched on. If even a single test fails, however, the red man light is turned on instead.
In addition to the light changing, a custom success or failure sound is played to alert team members to the updated build status. To keep it fresh, the sounds are changed every month. We currently have Simpsons-themed sounds, so a build failure will result in a disembodied Homer Simpson “D’oh!” emanating throughout the office. When a team member has fixed the build, Homer expresses his gratitude with an enthusiastic “Woohoo!”.
How It Works
Ray was fortunate enough to find a second hand pedestrian light for sale online. We purchased it and had an electrician rewire the two lights to standard 240V plugs. Each light is controlled by an smart power socket, and the sockets are controlled by a Python script running on a Raspberry Pi that checks our Continuous Integration servers for build status changes.
The pedestrian light still has its original light bulbs, which aren’t very energy efficient! To save power, the Python script automatically switches the lights off on weekends and after business hours.
A Big Success
The Continuous Integration Pedestrian Light is used by our team every day, and ensures that issues are discovered and resolved as soon as they occur. The light is also a popular part of the office walkthrough for new employees and other visitors.
Chris Parton – Senior Software Engineer, FinoComp Pty Ltd
