# Example 750 — The backlog was counted in items and the items grew `the_backlog_was_counted_in_items_and_the_items_grew.eml` - The backlog is tracked as a count of unprocessed items, charted daily, and it has been flat for a year. What a flat count means is computed below. ## EML ```eml # Self-authored for the EML case corpus (no external origin). The backlog is # tracked as a count of unprocessed items, charted daily, and it has been flat # for a year. What a flat count means is computed below. # # Tracking it is better than not, and the chart is honest. The count is taken # from the store rather than from the worker's own opinion, it is charted daily # so a trend is visible rather than a snapshot, the target was agreed rather # than assumed, and the number has genuinely not moved: the backlog held between # eleven and thirteen thousand items every week of the year. # # The count is of ITEMS. An item is a document to be indexed, and the mean # document has grown from four kilobytes to thirty-one over the same year, # because the product started accepting attachments. # # The work is in the bytes. 12000 => items_in_the_backlog 4 => mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago 31 => mean_item_kilobytes_now 365 => days_charted 0 => charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes 1 => targets_agreed_with_the_business 0 => alerts_on_the_mean_item_size items_in_the_backlog * mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago => backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago items_in_the_backlog * mean_item_kilobytes_now => backlog_kilobytes_now backlog_kilobytes_now - backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago => kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count int(mean_item_kilobytes_now * 100 / mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) => size_now_as_percent_of_then "items in the backlog : " + str(items_in_the_backlog) ^0 "days charted : " + str(days_charted) ^0 "targets agreed with the business: " + str(targets_agreed_with_the_business) ^0 "charts of the backlog in bytes : " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes) ^0 "" ^0 "mean item, KB a year ago : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) ^0 "mean item, KB now : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now) ^0 " as a percent of then : " + str(size_now_as_percent_of_then) ^0 "alerts on the mean item size : " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size) ^0 "" ^0 "backlog KB a year ago : " + str(backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago) ^0 "backlog KB now : " + str(backlog_kilobytes_now) ^0 " added while the count held flat : " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count) ^0 "" ^0 # ---- what the chart verified ---- "the backlog chart" ^0 " where the number comes from : the store, not the" ^0 " worker's own opinion" ^0 " charted : daily, so a trend is visible rather than a" ^0 " snapshot" ^0 " target : agreed, not assumed" ^0 " days charted : " + str(days_charted) ^0 " has the number moved : no; between eleven and thirteen" ^0 " thousand every week" ^0 " verdict : STABLE, AND HONESTLY MEASURED" ^0 "" ^0 " reading the count from the store rather than from the" ^0 " consumer is the difference between a metric and a" ^0 " self-report, and it was done" ^0 "" ^0 # ---- what an item is ---- "the counted unit" ^0 " what one item is : a document to be indexed" ^0 " what indexing one costs : proportional to its bytes" ^0 " mean bytes a year ago : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB" ^0 " mean bytes now : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now) + " KB" ^0 " why : the product started accepting attachments" ^0 " charts in bytes : " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes) ^0 "" ^0 " the count is exact and the unit it counts changed size" ^0 " underneath it" ^0 "" ^0 # ---- the flat line is the finding ---- # Holding the count flat while each item grew by a factor means the workers # absorbed the growth. The chart records the absence of a change in a number # whose stability now costs eight times what it did. "what a flat line meant then and now" ^0 " a year ago : the workers keep up with the arrival rate" ^0 " now : the workers keep up with an arrival rate" ^0 " carrying " + str(size_now_as_percent_of_then) + " percent of the bytes" ^0 " did anything about the chart change : no" ^0 " did anything about the system change : the work per" ^0 " item, by that factor" ^0 " bytes added while the line stayed flat : " ^0 " " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count) + " KB" ^0 "" ^0 # ---- what the target means now ---- "the agreed target" ^0 " what it says : keep the backlog under a count" ^0 " when it was agreed : when an item was " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB" ^0 " what it constrains today : a queue holding " ^0 " " + str(backlog_kilobytes_now) + " KB" ^0 " was the target renegotiated : it did not appear to need" ^0 " renegotiating; the number it names is inside it" ^0 " alerts on the quantity that moved : " ^0 " " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size) ^0 "" ^0 # ---- null control ---- # The same chart, with the backlog also plotted in bytes, and the target # expressed in the quantity the workers actually spend. 1 => nc_charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes 1 => nc_alerts_on_the_mean_item_size "null control - plot the backlog in bytes as well" ^0 " items in the backlog : " + str(items_in_the_backlog) + ", unchanged and still exact" ^0 " charts in bytes : " + str(nc_charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes) ^0 " alerts on the mean item size : " + str(nc_alerts_on_the_mean_item_size) ^0 " the count did not become wrong; a second line appeared" ^0 " in the unit the work is denominated in" ^0 "" ^0 # ---- the rule ---- "what a flat backlog count guarantees" ^0 " the number of unprocessed items is not growing :" ^0 " exactly, measured from the store, charted daily for" ^0 " " + str(days_charted) + " days" ^0 " the backlog is not growing : not addressed; the count" ^0 " is in items and the work is in bytes, and nothing" ^0 " holds the conversion still" ^0 "" ^0 "a count is a measurement only while the thing counted keeps" ^0 "its size; where the unit can grow, a flat line records that" ^0 "the growth was absorbed rather than that it did not happen" ^0 "" ^0 "The chart is honestly built - read from the store rather than the worker, drawn" ^0 "daily for " + str(days_charted) + " days against an agreed target - and the count has genuinely not" ^0 "moved. It counts items, and the mean item went from " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB to " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now) + ", " ^0 str(size_now_as_percent_of_then) + " percent of what it was, so " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count) + " KB entered the backlog while the" ^0 "line stayed flat, under " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes) + " charts in bytes and " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size) + " alerts on the size." ^0 ``` ## Python (deterministic transpilation) ```python items_in_the_backlog = 12000 mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago = 4 mean_item_kilobytes_now = 31 days_charted = 365 charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes = 0 targets_agreed_with_the_business = 1 alerts_on_the_mean_item_size = 0 backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago = items_in_the_backlog * mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago backlog_kilobytes_now = items_in_the_backlog * mean_item_kilobytes_now kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count = backlog_kilobytes_now - backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago size_now_as_percent_of_then = int(mean_item_kilobytes_now * 100 / mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) print("items in the backlog : " + str(items_in_the_backlog)) print("days charted : " + str(days_charted)) print("targets agreed with the business: " + str(targets_agreed_with_the_business)) print("charts of the backlog in bytes : " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes)) print("") print("mean item, KB a year ago : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago)) print("mean item, KB now : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now)) print(" as a percent of then : " + str(size_now_as_percent_of_then)) print("alerts on the mean item size : " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size)) print("") print("backlog KB a year ago : " + str(backlog_kilobytes_a_year_ago)) print("backlog KB now : " + str(backlog_kilobytes_now)) print(" added while the count held flat : " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count)) print("") print("the backlog chart") print(" where the number comes from : the store, not the") print(" worker's own opinion") print(" charted : daily, so a trend is visible rather than a") print(" snapshot") print(" target : agreed, not assumed") print(" days charted : " + str(days_charted)) print(" has the number moved : no; between eleven and thirteen") print(" thousand every week") print(" verdict : STABLE, AND HONESTLY MEASURED") print("") print(" reading the count from the store rather than from the") print(" consumer is the difference between a metric and a") print(" self-report, and it was done") print("") print("the counted unit") print(" what one item is : a document to be indexed") print(" what indexing one costs : proportional to its bytes") print(" mean bytes a year ago : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB") print(" mean bytes now : " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now) + " KB") print(" why : the product started accepting attachments") print(" charts in bytes : " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes)) print("") print(" the count is exact and the unit it counts changed size") print(" underneath it") print("") print("what a flat line meant then and now") print(" a year ago : the workers keep up with the arrival rate") print(" now : the workers keep up with an arrival rate") print(" carrying " + str(size_now_as_percent_of_then) + " percent of the bytes") print(" did anything about the chart change : no") print(" did anything about the system change : the work per") print(" item, by that factor") print(" bytes added while the line stayed flat : ") print(" " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count) + " KB") print("") print("the agreed target") print(" what it says : keep the backlog under a count") print(" when it was agreed : when an item was " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB") print(" what it constrains today : a queue holding ") print(" " + str(backlog_kilobytes_now) + " KB") print(" was the target renegotiated : it did not appear to need") print(" renegotiating; the number it names is inside it") print(" alerts on the quantity that moved : ") print(" " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size)) print("") nc_charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes = 1 nc_alerts_on_the_mean_item_size = 1 print("null control - plot the backlog in bytes as well") print(" items in the backlog : " + str(items_in_the_backlog) + ", unchanged and still exact") print(" charts in bytes : " + str(nc_charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes)) print(" alerts on the mean item size : " + str(nc_alerts_on_the_mean_item_size)) print(" the count did not become wrong; a second line appeared") print(" in the unit the work is denominated in") print("") print("what a flat backlog count guarantees") print(" the number of unprocessed items is not growing :") print(" exactly, measured from the store, charted daily for") print(" " + str(days_charted) + " days") print(" the backlog is not growing : not addressed; the count") print(" is in items and the work is in bytes, and nothing") print(" holds the conversion still") print("") print("a count is a measurement only while the thing counted keeps") print("its size; where the unit can grow, a flat line records that") print("the growth was absorbed rather than that it did not happen") print("") print("The chart is honestly built - read from the store rather than the worker, drawn") print("daily for " + str(days_charted) + " days against an agreed target - and the count has genuinely not") print("moved. It counts items, and the mean item went from " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_a_year_ago) + " KB to " + str(mean_item_kilobytes_now) + ", ") print(str(size_now_as_percent_of_then) + " percent of what it was, so " + str(kilobytes_added_with_no_change_in_the_count) + " KB entered the backlog while the") print("line stayed flat, under " + str(charts_of_the_backlog_in_bytes) + " charts in bytes and " + str(alerts_on_the_mean_item_size) + " alerts on the size.") ``` ## stdout (executed) ```text items in the backlog : 12000 days charted : 365 targets agreed with the business: 1 charts of the backlog in bytes : 0 mean item, KB a year ago : 4 mean item, KB now : 31 as a percent of then : 775 alerts on the mean item size : 0 backlog KB a year ago : 48000 backlog KB now : 372000 added while the count held flat : 324000 the backlog chart where the number comes from : the store, not the worker's own opinion charted : daily, so a trend is visible rather than a snapshot target : agreed, not assumed days charted : 365 has the number moved : no; between eleven and thirteen thousand every week verdict : STABLE, AND HONESTLY MEASURED reading the count from the store rather than from the consumer is the difference between a metric and a self-report, and it was done the counted unit what one item is : a document to be indexed what indexing one costs : proportional to its bytes mean bytes a year ago : 4 KB mean bytes now : 31 KB why : the product started accepting attachments charts in bytes : 0 the count is exact and the unit it counts changed size underneath it what a flat line meant then and now a year ago : the workers keep up with the arrival rate now : the workers keep up with an arrival rate carrying 775 percent of the bytes did anything about the chart change : no did anything about the system change : the work per item, by that factor bytes added while the line stayed flat : 324000 KB the agreed target what it says : keep the backlog under a count when it was agreed : when an item was 4 KB what it constrains today : a queue holding 372000 KB was the target renegotiated : it did not appear to need renegotiating; the number it names is inside it alerts on the quantity that moved : 0 null control - plot the backlog in bytes as well items in the backlog : 12000, unchanged and still exact charts in bytes : 1 alerts on the mean item size : 1 the count did not become wrong; a second line appeared in the unit the work is denominated in what a flat backlog count guarantees the number of unprocessed items is not growing : exactly, measured from the store, charted daily for 365 days the backlog is not growing : not addressed; the count is in items and the work is in bytes, and nothing holds the conversion still a count is a measurement only while the thing counted keeps its size; where the unit can grow, a flat line records that the growth was absorbed rather than that it did not happen The chart is honestly built - read from the store rather than the worker, drawn daily for 365 days against an agreed target - and the count has genuinely not moved. It counts items, and the mean item went from 4 KB to 31, 775 percent of what it was, so 324000 KB entered the backlog while the line stayed flat, under 0 charts in bytes and 0 alerts on the size. ``` ## Round-trip `ok: true` — round-trip fixpoint reached (python1 == python2) ## Trace event types eml:run:start · eml:assign · eml:output · eml:run:done