What is cicd?

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (or Deployment). It is a set of practices and tools that automatically build, test, and release software changes. Instead of waiting for a big “release day,” developers push small updates to a shared code repository, and the CI/CD system takes care of checking that the code works and moving it into production quickly and safely.

Let's break it down

  • Continuous Integration (CI): Every time a developer writes code and pushes it to the main repository, the CI server automatically pulls the latest code, compiles it, and runs a suite of automated tests. This catches bugs early and ensures the new code fits with the existing codebase.
  • Continuous Delivery (CD): After the code passes all tests, CD packages the application (e.g., into a container or installer) and stores it in a ready‑to‑deploy location. The release can be triggered manually whenever the team decides.
  • Continuous Deployment (also CD): Takes delivery one step further - the validated code is automatically deployed to production without human intervention. The typical pipeline looks like: code commit → automated build → automated tests → artifact creation → staging deployment → production deployment.

Why does it matter?

  • Faster feedback: Developers know within minutes if their change broke something.
  • Shorter release cycles: Small, reliable updates can be shipped daily or even multiple times a day.
  • Higher quality: Automated testing catches regressions before users see them.
  • Reduced manual work: Repetitive steps are scripted, freeing the team to focus on building features.
  • Consistent environments: The same build process runs everywhere, minimizing “it works on my machine” problems.

Where is it used?

CI/CD is used in virtually any software project that wants to ship code regularly:

  • Web applications (e.g., e‑commerce sites, SaaS platforms)
  • Mobile apps (iOS, Android)
  • Backend services and APIs
  • Desktop software
  • Embedded systems and IoT devices Popular CI/CD tools include Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, Travis CI, Azure Pipelines, and Bitbucket Pipelines. Companies of all sizes-from startups to large enterprises-run CI/CD pipelines to keep their products up‑to‑date.

Good things about it

  • Speed: Deployments that once took weeks can now happen in minutes.
  • Reliability: Automated tests and repeatable builds lower the chance of human error.
  • Transparency: Everyone can see the build status and test results in real time.
  • Scalability: Pipelines can run many builds in parallel, handling large codebases.
  • Collaboration: Teams share a common process, making hand‑offs smoother.

Not-so-good things

  • Initial setup effort: Configuring pipelines, writing tests, and integrating tools can be time‑consuming.
  • Learning curve: Teams need to learn new languages (YAML, Groovy) and concepts.
  • Maintenance overhead: Pipelines and test suites require regular updates as the code evolves.
  • False sense of security: If tests are weak or missing, automation can push buggy code unnoticed.
  • Resource cost: Running many builds and deployments can consume compute resources and increase cloud costs.