Continuous Integration: Things You Should Know About It

Continuous-integration is quite a popular development practice which involves frequent code integration into any shared repository. Automated tests are usually run for verifying integration by developers. This integration enables developers finding the underlying errors accurately. Errors can be now easily located without any confusion or obstacles.

Almost every android app development company of the modern era is implementing the concerned procedure for developing advanced applications successfully. This process can even detect even the smallest changes occurring to the applications.

The software industry has gained massive growth due to the emergence of this outstanding testing procedure.

Certain key principles are followed for correctly implementing the process. This is how application quality and functioning can be easily and automatically tested without any inconveniences. The codebase is also automatically pushed by the continuous-integration process.

Modern software developers are now using continuous-integration for integrating the codes of their applications. Android App development has undergone a massive transformation in recent times just due to this practice.

In most of the cases, software or applications are found to be the best productions of continuous-integration.

Why is CI so essential?

• Fixing of bad-codes: Software developers have now found CI as the easiest and updated solution of fixing bad-codes. Even the smallest change can be easily known with the help of this procedure. In fact, the procedure has made a great addition to the efficiency and productivity of developers.
• Codes can be easily integrated by fixing the bad-codes. Sometimes, extremely damaged codes are being replaced by the new ones for making the applications run smoothly and uninterruptedly. If any specific developer within the team is not performing his respective duties, then that can also be easily detected with CI. Here, no step of code-integration gets skipped instead every step is being performed in a sincere manner.
• Moreover, the available resources can be now utilized to their optimum level as a result of which unwanted wastage can be avoided easily. On the other hand, code-integration and repair costs have come down considerably. Now, applications can be easily updated due to the presence of great codes.
• Enhances developers’ confidence:
• Developers have now gained hinge confidence in making applications, and this confidence has enhanced their potentiality at the end of the day. Coding-standards have improved, and this has invited the development of some of the most exclusive and highly advanced applications.
• Now, apps are getting created quickly than ever and that too without any errors or mistakes. Repeated testing is not needed, and this is how both energy and timing of developers are getting saved.Now they do not require performing manual tasks repetitively rather automated tasks can be performed within a very short period of time. The system can be easily balanced for improving the tasks by developers.
• On the other hand, the developers are developing absolutely good-quality of codes for enhancing the efficiency and functionality of applications. Since proficiency-level of developers has increased therefore the rate of project failure has decreased. Moreover, the projects are getting maintained more progressively than ever.
• Test-sequences of CI need to be managed systematically otherwise developers cannot utilize the process to the fullest extent.
• Easy customization:
• The process of CI can be now easily customized as a result of which customer-specific applications with special attributes can be built. This customization has brought a huge revolution in the world of software development. The developers can now include features as per customers' demands with the use of CI.
• Build-server is configured in accordance with application requirements, and it is really quite an excellent advantage for developers. This customization also ensures absolutely high-quality codes and updated applications. The developers can now execute the applications smoothly without facing any restrictions or obstacles.
• Security of application development has been increased to a significant level due to the facility of an easy configuration of CI-server. Through different useful performance-tests, speed can be easily tested along with the measure of predominant operations.

Key practices:

• CI maintains a single-source of the repository.
• The build is automated.
• Self-testing is developed.
• Each commit is developed over the integration device.
• The build has been accelerated.
• Automated deployment.
• Complete transparency is maintained, and thus everyone can experience
• the happening.
• The latest version of automated testing is quite simple to deal with, and
• thus anybody can deal with the same.
• Testing within production environment’s clone is possible.

How CI works?

• Developers check or verify codes at their private or personalized
• workspaces.
• After the completion of this checking process, changes are committed to
• the repository by developers.
• The server of CI monitors, checks and regulates repository for controlling
• occurred changes.
• The server first develops the system and then runs both integration and
• unit tests.
• The server allows releasing of deployable artifacts with a purpose of
• testing.
• It fixes a certain build-level for matching up advanced code-version.
• If tests or builds fail then the teams receive special alerts from the server.
• It is the sole responsibility of the team to fix-up or resolves arrived issues
• as soon as possible.
• The team has to continue testing and integration consistently throughout
• the whole project.

Team responsibilities:

• Checking CI on a frequent note.
• No checking of broken code.
• No checking of untested code.
• No checking of a broken build.
• Not going home just after checking rather waiting till the building of
• system is needed.

Team-responsibilities often vary from one company to another especially on the basis of policies, regulations and standard maintenance. Various rituals also grow within the organization in response to these factors.

Teams use these rituals for managing their integrity and performances efficiently. These rituals do not allow the higher authority to impose or impose any strict policies over teams.

How your organization can get benefitted by continuous-integration?

• Tense and long integrations have been successfully replaced by means
• of automated version.
• Greater communication has brought an improved and increased visibility.
• Developers can detect both serious and trifling issues or changes quickly
• as a result of which instant resolutions can be implemented.
• Develops a concrete foundation which is really highly beneficial for
• especially Android app Development Company.
• Minimizes integration troubles or problems to a great extent allowing
• developers delivering software at a more rapid pace.

Traditional integration methods or procedures were quite complicated, and thus they used to bring conflicts, but in this case, you will never experience any conflicting situations ever. Agile development is now very much possible with CI. The process will go on smoothly on its own pace, and thus you do not have to modify or alter the same.

Agile-technologies play a great role in utilizing resources optimally, and this is why CI has been prepared on the basis of these technologies. You do not require controlling the process for improving performances or output. It creates a completely eco-friendly ambiance, and the process is sufficiently safe for continuous usage.

Now, developers can even handle the biggest and toughest software-development projects with ease. Android apps development is not possible at all without the involvement of this specialized testing procedure.

You can get only verified results from the concerned procedure, and this is why it is so very useful for software-developing businesses. Developers’ workflow never gets interrupted with CI.

My name is Hemendra Singh. I am Managing Director and Co-Founder of The NineHertz, a Mobile App Development Company. My ideology is that, a clear vision and hard work builds a great company.