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date:: [[2023-04-22]], [[2021-02-17]], [[2023-04-22]]
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# [[X as code]]
X as code is the trend that involves converting something traditionally manual and time-consuming into code, with the goal of making it easier to create, maintain, and deploy.
## Motivation
Why move to code?
### Code is faster
[[Pure code is faster than GUI-driven tools]].
### Code is more resilient
Code doesn't go away when an ops engineer does, and it is a lot easier to point code to another system rather than to train people to apply an old checklist of activities to a new system.
[[Plain text files are future-proof]]
### Code can be [[Version Control System|versioned]]
As plain text, changes in code can be tracked over time using Version Control Systems like [[Git]], providing transparent accounting that facilitates a sense of responsibility on the part of developers or creators.
### Code can be [[Continuous Improvement|continuously deployed]]
Storing assets as code enables [[Iterative and incremental work|iterative]] development and automated deployment. Code can be hooked up to CI/CD pipelines that take code to its logical conclusion without manual intervention.
## Examples
- [[Test as code]]
- [[Infrastructure as code]]
- [[Observability as code]]
- [[Dashboards as code]]
## Future
- Requirements as code?
- Test strategy as code?
- Reports as code?
- [[Engineers as code]]?