Byte-Sized RSE: Continuous Integration

This is a Byte-Sized RSE lesson on Continuous Integration, part of the Byte-Sized RSE Series.

Questions

• What is automation in the context of software development, and why is it beneficial?
• How does Continuous Integration (CI) enhance the software development process?
• What tasks can be automated using CI?
• Why is integrating small code changes regularly preferable to integrating large changes infrequently?
• How can CI be extended to Continuous Delivery (CD) for automating deployment processes?​

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Understand the concept of automation and its role in improving efficiency and consistency in software development.
• Learn the principles and benefits of Continuous Integration.
• Identify common tasks that can be automated within a CI pipeline, such as code compilation, testing, linting, and documentation generation.
• Recognise the importance of integrating code changes frequently to minimize conflicts and maintain a stable codebase.
• Explore how Continuous Integration can be extended to Continuous Delivery to automate the deployment of packages and applications.