I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked in various roles, particularly in Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and chemical engineering, where I’ve found that both fields share a fundamental goal: creating scalable processes that can be efficiently controlled. In both realms, the pursuit of efficiency is the most obvious goal, and leveraging the right tools can significantly enhance performance (students need freedom, not matlab and no ms products)

Emacs proves to be not just a text editor, but a highly adaptable environment that supports diverse workflows. For SRE professionals, it simplifies essential tasks such as task management, script development, and process automation. With powerful features like version control integration (including built-in Git), shell access, and Org Mode, Emacs enables users to organize notes, tasks, and documentation seamlessly. Moreover, by utilizing Emacs Lisp (Elisp) within this environment, SRE and chemical engineers can automate repetitive processes and optimize workflows significantly. Knowing how to harness these tools can undoubtedly give your career a substantial boost. Here are some real-life examples of how you can apply these techniques effectively.

Why Emacs for SRE in Chemical Engineering?⌗

In SRE roles, tasks like configuration file editing, automation scripting, and maintaining documentation are essential. Emacs empowers you to:

  • Edit configuration files effortlessly and manage changes with Git.
  • Run shell commands directly within the editor, saving time and reducing context-switching.
  • Organize tasks and notes with Org Mode, which provides a powerful way to manage documentation and keep track of tasks.

Automation Examples with Elisp⌗

Let’s explore some simple Elisp code that showcases the ease of automating workflows directly within Emacs. With just a few lines of code, you can begin automating tasks in data collection, process control, and reporting.

1. Fetching Data with Elisp⌗

Imagine you’re collecting data from a monitoring system. Here’s a function that retrieves water quality data from a local server and saves it to a file:

(defun fetch-water-data ()
  "Fetch water quality data from the monitoring system."
  (interactive)
  (let ((data (shell-command-to-string "curl -s http://water-monitoring.local/data")))
    (with-temp-buffer
      (insert data)
      (write-file "water_quality_report.txt"))))

With this function, you can automate data retrieval with a single command, and the report will be saved directly to your file system. Simply run M-x fetch-water-data in Emacs, and it fetches data for you.

2. Automating Data Processing⌗

Suppose you need to process this data before analyzing it. This next example performs basic data extraction and cleaning on a dataset:

(defun clean-water-data ()
  "Extract and clean data for analysis."
  (interactive)
  (find-file "water_quality_report.txt")
  (goto-char (point-min))
  ;; Assume the data has unwanted lines we need to delete
  (flush-lines "^#")  ;; Removes lines starting with "#"
  (replace-string "NaN" "0")  ;; Replaces "NaN" values with "0"
  (save-buffer))

The clean-water-data function opens the data file, removes unwanted lines, replaces “NaN” values, and saves the updated file—all with a single command.

3. Quick Calculations in Elisp⌗

Let’s say you need to calculate the average pH level from a set of values. Here’s how to do a quick calculation in Elisp:

(defun calculate-average-ph (ph-values)
  "Calculate the average of a list of PH-VALUES."
  (let ((sum (apply '+ ph-values)))
    (/ sum (length ph-values))))

;; Usage example:
(calculate-average-ph '(7.2 7.4 7.1 7.3 7.5))  ;; Returns 7.3

This example demonstrates how you can use Elisp for simple but useful calculations without leaving Emacs. It’s especially helpful for quick data insights during troubleshooting or system checks.

4. Automating Reports with Org Mode⌗

Finally, Org Mode in Emacs allows you to generate dynamic reports. Here’s an example of inserting a timestamped entry in your Org file whenever data is collected:

(defun log-water-quality-data ()
  "Log the water quality data collection in Org Mode."
  (interactive)
  (let ((entry (format "* Data collected at %s\n\n" (current-time-string))))
    (with-current-buffer (find-file-noselect "~/org/water_quality_log.org")
      (goto-char (point-max))
      (insert entry)
      (save-buffer))))

Each time you run M-x log-water-quality-data, Emacs will append a timestamped entry to your Org file, creating a detailed log of data collection activities. This is great for tracking and documenting compliance efforts.

Emacs and Scripting for Process Control⌗

Process control is an exciting field that has continually fueled my passion for working in the tech industry. Emacs and Elisp offer amazing automation capabilities that go beyond simple editing and scripting. With these tools, you can create scripts to adjust chemical feed rates, automate routine checks, and manage reporting efficiently.

The future is leaning towards green AI technologies, and I believe there will come a time when we can leverage our expertise in chemical engineering to make a significant impact in various industries. By utilizing the adaptability of Emacs for automation and management, we can optimize workflows and enhance the reliability of critical systems in the utilities sector, all while making strides toward a more sustainable future.