One of the most common problems in technology companies is software with bugs that are often delivered after the established deadline, and projects that exceed the estimated cost.
To avoid this type of headache, there’s Continuous Integration (CI) . This practice helps manage projects , as it minimizes errors and helps improve team productivity and operational expenses.
But what is Continuous Integration and why is it important? We’ll answer those questions below, and you’ll learn about the four pillars that guide this approach.
What is Continuous Integration?
It’s a modern web development methodology in which completed work is continuously integrated. It’s actually seen as a process of building and testing code automation that occurs when a team member commits, with the goal of detecting:
- Faults;
- Code typing errors;
- Incompatibility;
- Commands generated by different developers.
The principle of Continuous Integration is to ensure efficiency . In the field of Information Technology, the term “efficiency” can be understood as software that is constantly updated and has a lower development cost.
Due to the daily frequency at which commits are issued, it’s possible to find bugs immediately. This way, you avoid them being special database discovered in later phases of the project, which would require higher costs in remediation.
The CI system is directly linked to cost reduction. While avoiding unnecessary investments , it increases the productivity of the entire team.
Some integration tools available on the market include:
- Jenkins ;
- Travis CI ;
- GitLab CI ;
- Hudson .
Why is Continuous Integration important?
When processes aren’t integrated, developers work in isolation and compile their changes at the time everyone else finishes. In this format, the code change process was slow, difficult, and error-prone.
With CI, professionals can frequently commit to a shared repository using a version control system , such as Git . It even allows for automated testing and verification before each commit to detect errors.
Now imagine a scenario where a large team is working on an important, mission-critical project. Implementing new features requires the involvement of many programmers, designers, software architects, and analysts.
If you’re unfamiliar with the reality we simply wouldn’t have an intert audience of web development, you might think that the availability of this evolution is natural and easy, as there are many competent professionals with in-depth knowledge; but this isn’t always the case.
When many people are working simultaneously, it is necessary to adopt practices to help harmonize conflicts , which are often difficult to detect.
Due to this complexity, it is essential to adopt a culture of more immediate problem detection. Only then can project costs be reduced while still ensuring quality and speed.
In this way, we can say that this methodology optimizes work and allows for efficient and agile results.
What are the benefits of integrating processes?
Based on the importance of having Continuous Integration (CI), it is possible to highlight 4 main benefits, which are:
1 – Increased developer productivity
Since the process is automated, developers are relieved of the manual, laborious tasks that waste their time and energy . This increases the team’s productivity, creating solutions more quickly.
2 – Rapid fault detection
By performing testing, it’s possible to find and investigate bugs before projects are developed, thus avoiding the loss of work done and having to start from scratch again.
3 – Rapid distribution of updates
The Continuous Integration system helps teams deliver project updates to clients or business leaders frequently and quickly.
4 – Reduction of final costs
When projects flow naturally and errors are adjusted over time, the final cost is usually lower.
What are the pillars for success in the IQ?
For this practice to be used successfully, it is essential that it be based on fundamental pillars, such as:
1 – Version Control System
The advantages of working with Version Control are numerous. Some allow, for example, developers to have a complete copy of the fax list repository, instead of duplicating the latest source versions. This will ensure that, if the server fails, any other version can be transferred again.
This tool is not only important for large teams, but is also useful for even the smallest projects.
2 – Build Automation
Whenever a new version of the system is generated, it should be done automatically and without any external interference. At this stage, no human intervention is necessary.