Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
CI as a Centerpiece for Quality
Some see CI as a process of simply putting software compo-
nents together. We see CI as the centerpiece of software devel-
opment, as it ensures the health of software through running a
build with every change. Determining the quality of software can
be as easy as checking the latest integration build.
Spending
some
time on the nonglamorous fundamental activities
in software development means there is
more
time to spend on the
challenging, thought-provoking activities that make our jobs interest-
ing and fun. If we don't focus on the fundamentals, such as defining
the development environment and building the software, we'll be
forced to perform low-level tasks later, usually at the most inconve-
nient times (immediately before software goes to production, for
example). This is when mistakes happen as well. The discipline
involved in keeping the build “in the green” frees you from worrying
about whether everything is still working. It's like exercising—yes, it
takes self-discipline; yes, it can be painful work—but it keeps you in
shape to play in the big game, when it counts.
This chapter attempts to answer the questions that you may have
when making the decision to implement the practices of CI on a
project. It provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages
of CI, and covers how CI complements other software development
practices. CI is not a practice that can be handed off to a project's
“build master” and forgotten about. It affects every person on the soft-
ware development team, so we discuss CI in terms of what all team
members must practice to implement it.
What's a day of work like using CI? Let's examine Tim's experiences.
As Tim opens the door to his company's suite, he views the wide-
screen monitor displaying real-time information for his project. The
monitor shows him that the last integration build ran successfully a
few minutes ago on the CI server. It shows a list of the latest quality
