ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Instrumentation (computer programming)

Instrumentation in computer programming is like mommy and daddy putting a magic spy device on your toys and games to see how you play with them. Just like the spy device helps mommy and daddy understand which toys you like the most and how to make you happy, instrumentation helps the computer programmer understand how their program is behaving and how to make it better.

When a computer program is being made, the programmer writes all the instructions that tell the computer what to do. For example, if you ask the computer to play a game, the program will run all the instructions that make the game start, show graphics, play sounds, and respond to your actions. Instrumentation is like adding little extra instructions that tell the programmer what is happening in the program while it is running. Just like the spy device tells mommy and daddy how you play with your toys, instrumentation tells the programmer how the program is executing its instructions, what values it is using, and how long it takes to do things.

The most common types of instrumentation are called logs and metrics. Logs are like a diary that the program writes while it is running. Whenever something important happens, like an error, a warning, or a user action, the program writes it down in the log. This helps the programmer understand what was happening at that moment in the program and how to fix any problems that may have occurred. Metrics are like a scorecard that the program fills while it is running. Whenever the program does something that is measured, like processing data or responding to a user, it updates the metrics. This helps the programmer understand how often things happen, how fast they happen, and how well they perform.

Overall, instrumentation is like a secret weapon that helps computer programmers make better programs. Just like mommy and daddy use the spy device to make you happy, programmers use instrumentation to make the program work better, faster, and safer!