A set of practices and principles in software development aims to improve software releases’ speed, quality, and reliability. Also referred to as Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment.
- Continuous Integration (CI) frequently merges code changes from multiple developers into a shared repository. This process is typically automated and includes running automated tests to ensure that new code integrates well with the existing codebase without introducing errors.
- Continuous Delivery (CD) extends CI by automatically preparing code changes for production release. This involves additional automated testing and staging processes to ensure the software is always deployable.
Continuous Deployment, an extension of Continuous Delivery, takes automation further by automatically deploying all code changes that pass the CI/CD pipeline directly to production.
Key benefits of CI/CD include:
- Faster time to market for new features and bug fixes
- Reduced risk in software releases through smaller, more frequent updates
- Improved code quality through consistent automated testing
- Increased developer productivity by automating manual processes
- Better collaboration among development teams
- More frequent feedback from users on new features
CI/CD has become fundamental in modern software development, particularly in agile and DevOps environments. It helps organizations respond quickly to market demands and maintain high-quality software products.