What is Continuous Integration (CI)?

Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice where members of a team integrate their work frequently, usually each person integrates at least daily – leading to multiple integrations per day. Each integration is automatically verified by building the project and running automated tests against the build. The main goal of CI is to provide quick feedback so that if a defect is introduced into the code base, it can be identified and corrected as soon as possible. CI helps in reducing the integration problems, allows faster software releases, and improves software quality through automated testing.

Key aspects of Continuous Integration include:

1. Automated Builds: Automatically compiling, building, and executing unit tests on the newest codebase to promptly catch any errors or conflicts.

2. Version Control: All code and resources are managed in a version control system, facilitating the tracking of changes and collaboration among team members.

3. Automated Testing: Alongside the build, automated tests are run to ensure that the application behaves as expected after the integration of new code changes.

4. Immediate Feedback: CI provides immediate feedback on the health of the software after each code commit, allowing teams to address issues quickly before they escalate.

5. Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CD): CI is often paired with Continuous Delivery or Continuous Deployment, practices that automate the delivery of the software to staging or production environments, enabling frequent releases with minimal manual intervention.

By integrating regularly, teams can detect errors quickly, and locate them more easily, making the development process more