CI/CD – what is it? Proper implementation

Key Points

• What is CI/CD?
  • CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (or Deployment).
  • Continuous Integration (CI) involves developers frequently merging their changes into a shared repository, which helps identify bugs early.
  • Continuous Delivery (CD) ensures that after successful testing, the application is automatically moved to staging or production environments, ready for release.
• Benefits of CI/CD
  • Faster Development: Reduces development cycles, allowing for quicker feedback and more rapid delivery of new features.
  • Lower Costs: Shorter cycles result in faster response times and cheaper changes.
  • Bug Reduction: Automated testing ensures issues are caught early, reducing bugs in later stages of development.
  • Experimentation Freedom: Developers can experiment with changes without compromising system stability, leading to greater innovation and efficiency.
• Practical Examples of CI/CD
  • E-commerce: New payment options are tested via staging without impacting the store’s operation. Changes are automatically deployed with minimal downtime.
  • Mobile Banking: CI/CD ensures that every stage of the app’s development is automatically tested, allowing efficient releases and quick iterations, such as through tools like TestFlight.
  • SaaS Platform: For large platforms, CI/CD allows for immediate bug fixes and new releases without service interruptions, ensuring continuity of service for users.
• Implementation Tips
  • Expert Implementation: Though CI/CD is simple in concept, it requires expertise to implement effectively. This includes building pipelines for automated build-test-deploy processes.
  • Use of GitLab for Pipelines: GitLab is commonly used to build and manage CI/CD pipelines, helping streamline the deployment process.

Today, one of the pillars of effective software development is the CI/CD approach.  Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery discusses how IT teams design, test, and implement the software they develop. What exactly is CI/CD? What does it say about the development process? How can we implement it to avoid chaos and make the team faster and more efficient?

CI/CD – what is it? A method that has changed the way we work with code

Let’s start with the definition of CI/CD.
CI/CD is a methodology that comes from two terms:  Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, and sometimes Continuous Deployment. 

All of these practices have one goal: improving software development. In what way? First, it reduces the risk of errors, speeds up the feedback process, and ensures application or program development continuity.

So let’s take a look at the various elements of the term:

• Continuous Integration is based on the fact that developers regularly (often several times a day) change the source code in a shared repository. This allows bugs of all kinds to be quickly detected and fixed. 
• Continuous Delivery is an enhancement of what we understand as CI. – After successful testing, the application automatically goes into a staging or release environment and is ready for publication.

Is it worth implementing CI/CD in your operations?

If we had to answer with just one sentence, yes, proper CI/CD implementation brings tangible benefits to companies, as we often hear from our customers. Why?  First and foremost, it’s a matter of speed – CI/CD allows you to work consistently and develop, deliver, and test the following stages of software faster. Shorter cycles mean a chance for faster response and lower costs of possible changes. 

And speaking of changes, if you care about fewer bugs, the automated tests part of ACI will catch problems quickly and save the team from stress in later stages. 

This also has another, equally positive side: developers can experiment and implement changes without worrying about the stability of the whole system.  Experienced senior developers will especially benefit from this freedom – we know this from experience.

Examples of CI/CD use in practice.  What might this look like?

Let’s look at three cases where CI/CD implementation improves the work of developers: from a simple e-commerce to an advanced SaaS platform. These best practices demonstrate how creating software from scratch and quick hotfixes don’t have to turn work upside down. Moreover, they can even be unnoticeable to customers if CI/CD is carried out by specialists with years of experience.

E-commerce system

 In this scenario, the team implements new payment options and tests them through staging, without shutting down the store.  With CI/CD, each change goes through a series of tests and then (ideally completely automatically) goes into production, often, thanks to using the right programs and structures, with a single click, without manually copying files or downtime.

Mobile banking application 

Let’s assume we are working on an application from scratch (it’s not live yet).  Each stage and every change in the app’s code means that we need to run tests, such as UI, to ensure the design is consistent and functional.  With CD, any changes go straight to internal testing (various software can be used for this purpose, such as TestFlight, which developers love), and the version can be quickly and efficiently tested before being released as an MVP or moving on to the next sprint.

Speaking of banks – take a peek at our case study: Project aiming to automatize supporting giving credit scores for business clients.

SaaS platform

Imagine a company developing an online platform that thousands of people use daily. CI/CD allows hotfixes to be released instantly without shutting down the service, and a new version can go into production without downtime.  With a business venture of this scale, any downtime would be a loss for the company. 

How to properly implement CI/CD?

First, use your brain and work with the help of experienced professionals. CI/CD is a simple methodology in theory, but only its smooth implementation makes it beneficial for the company in real terms.  For example, just building pipelines (i.e., build-test-deploy flows, among other things) requires tremendous knowledge. We wrote about GitLab used to create pipelines in an article on our blog. 

Do you want to keep up with all the changes without sacrificing the software quality you develop?  Fill out the form and tell us about the project you want to build with us.

FAQ

What is CI/CD in software development?

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (or Deployment). It’s a methodology where developers integrate code into a shared repository frequently and automatically deploy the application after testing, ensuring faster and more reliable software delivery.

What are the main benefits of CI/CD?

CI/CD helps speed up the development process by enabling faster feedback, reducing bugs, lowering costs, and ensuring that new changes are deployed smoothly and efficiently without disrupting operations.

Can CI/CD be used for any kind of software project?

Yes, CI/CD is beneficial across various projects, including e-commerce systems, mobile applications, and SaaS platforms. It ensures that updates, including bug fixes and new features, are deployed with minimal downtime.

How does CI/CD improve software development efficiency?

CI/CD reduces manual intervention, automates testing, and ensures seamless integration and deployment. This leads to quicker development cycles, fewer bugs, and a more predictable release process.

What’s the best way to implement CI/CD?

Implementing CI/CD effectively requires expertise. Start by setting up build pipelines, utilizing tools like GitLab for automation, and working with experienced professionals to ensure a smooth, automated process that integrates testing and deployment stages seamlessly.