What is a ci?

"CI" most commonly refers to Continuous Integration. It's a development practice where developers integrate code into a shared repository frequently, preferably several times a day. Each integration is then verified by an automated build and automated tests.

Here's a breakdown of key aspects:

• Frequent Integrations: Instead of integrating large chunks of code infrequently (leading to integration hell), developers integrate smaller changes often. This reduces the risk of significant integration problems.

• Automated Builds: Every integration triggers an automated build process. This usually involves compiling the code, running static analysis tools, and potentially packaging the software.

• Automated Tests: Crucially, the automated build is followed by automated tests. These tests can range from unit tests (testing individual components) to integration tests (testing the interaction between components) and even end-to-end tests (testing the entire system). The goal is to catch bugs early and quickly.

• Feedback Loop: The entire CI process provides rapid feedback to developers. If a build fails or tests fail, the developer is immediately notified, allowing for quick resolution of issues.

• Benefits: CI improves software quality, reduces integration problems, increases developer productivity, and enables faster release cycles.

Beyond Continuous Integration, "CI" can sometimes (though less frequently) refer to other things, such as:

• Confidence Interval: In statistics.
• Client Interface: In software design, though this is typically abbreviated "CLI" for Command-Line Interface or "GUI" for Graphical User Interface.
• Company Internal: Used to indicate something internal to a company.

However, in a software development context, Continuous Integration (CI) is almost always the intended meaning.