Continuous Integration
A software development practice where code changes are automatically tested and merged into a shared repository.
Description
Continuous Integration (CI) is a crucial practice in modern software development, particularly within the AWS ecosystem. It emphasizes the frequent integration of code changes into a central repository, ensuring that each change is verified by an automated build and tests. This practice helps in identifying integration issues early, reducing the number of defects in the final product. In the context of AWS, CI can be implemented using services like AWS CodePipeline and AWS CodeBuild, which automate the process of building, testing, and deploying applications. For instance, a team might use AWS CodeCommit as their source control system, where developers push their code. Changes trigger a pipeline that compiles the code, runs unit tests using AWS CodeBuild, and if successful, deploys the application using AWS CodeDeploy. This not only streamlines the development process but also enhances collaboration, as team members can continuously share code and receive immediate feedback on their contributions.
Examples
- Using AWS CodePipeline to automate the CI process for a web application hosted on AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
- Integrating AWS Lambda with AWS CodeBuild to run tests on serverless application code every time a commit is made.
Additional Information
- CI helps in maintaining high code quality by catching issues early in the development cycle.
- It encourages a culture of frequent commits, leading to faster feedback loops and reduced integration problems.