Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice that optimizes efficiency by automating many of the steps in the development process as changes are being committed and pushed to a shared repository. This method ensures that everything is in testing the code to make sure that no errors exist and that the project is always in working order. CI is essential when an application has many contributors to ensure the stability of code, in this post I will cover the basics of how it works, why it is so important, and what options are available.
What is Continuous Integration?
CI involves merging changes into a shared repository as frequently as possible. Whenever new code is committed, before it is merged, the new code is verified to ensure that no errors exist and there will be no conflicts. The typical process involves first automating the compiling/building, testing, and checking for errors. Notifications are sent out of the results and the code will deploy if no issues are detected. The goal of CI is to catch issues early in the development process before they become a larger problem. CI can catch syntax errors, and conflicts with existing code as well as identify issues that could become problems.
Why is it important?
CI offers several benefits to a software development team by streamlining and automating the development process. It abstracts away the crucial but mundane tasks letting developers focus on writing code instead of performing repetitive tasks. By testing the code locally before it is accepted into the organization's repo, one bug written by a developer can be prevented from breaking the whole application. The process leads to a reduction and errors that can be resolved quickly, leading to easier collaboration and sharing of code leading to faster development.
Options for Continuous Integration
There are numerous options for tools that deliver CI capabilities to choose from, each with its own set of unique capabilities. One of the most popular tools is Jenkins, which is open-sourced and offers support for multiple languages. Jenkins is flexible, customizable, and can run on many different platforms. Another popular option is Travis CI, a cloud-based, intuitive platform that provides seamless integration with GitHub and is well-suited for both open-source and private projects. CircleCI is also cloud-based, easy to use, provides fast speedy builds and testing, and offers integration with GitHub, BitBucket, and other DevOps tools. These are just a few of the many options available to provide CI to a project.
Conclusion
Continuous Integration is an invaluable tool that can outsource many of the mundane and repetitive tasks that are crucial to any project's success. CI lets developers focus on writing high-quality code and provide insurance and confidence that errors will be caught and there will be no disruption to the development process. Many options exist, but it is worth the investment of time during the set-up of a project to find the right one to best optimize your performance.
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