Definition
Implementing Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice where developers frequently merge their code changes into a central repository, after which automated builds and tests are run. This process involves automating the build and testing stages of the software development lifecycle, ensuring that new code integrates smoothly with the existing codebase. CI is crucial for improving software quality and reducing integration problems by catching bugs early and often. For instance, a team might use CI to automatically build and test a web application every time a developer commits a code change to a shared repository. This differs from Continuous Delivery (CD), which extends CI by automatically deploying the tested code to a staging or production environment. Understanding CI is vital for roles covered in certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate and CompTIA Security+.