Continuous Integration

5 minutes 5 Questions

Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice in Extreme Programming (XP) that focuses on the regular integration and testing of code. Developers continuously commit their code changes to a shared repository, ideally several times a day. With each commit, an automated build and test process is run to ensure that the codebase remains in a stable state. This practice allows teams to identify and address integration issues more rapidly, reducing the risk and effort associated with integrating large sets of changes. By identifying and resolving problems early, teams can minimize the amount of time spent on fixing bugs and instead focus on implementing new features.

A Complete Guide to Continuous Integration in Agile Project Management and Extreme Programming

What is Continuous Integration?
Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice where developers integrate code into a shared repository frequently, preferably several times a day. It aims to prevent integration problems, which are known as 'integration hell' in coding environments.

Why is Continuous Integration Important?
Continuous Integration is vital because it leads to significantly reduced integration problems and allows a team to develop cohesive software rapidly. This method encourages developers to share their code and unit tests by merging their changes into a shared version control repository after every small task completion.

How does Continuous Integration work?
CI merges all developer working copies to a shared mainline several times a day. The main aim is to avoid divergence of the project paths. The process is complemented by an automated build that allows teams to detect problems early.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Continuous Integration
i. Always define the basic terms first (i.e., Agile, Extreme Programming, Continuous Integration).
ii. Use concrete examples where possible to illustrate the theory.
iii. For longer essay questions, remember to structure your answer appropriately, including an introduction, main section, and conclusion.
iv. Explain the benefits of using CI, with a focus on how it prevents 'integration hell.'
v. For comparison questions, discuss the CI approach against other software development methodologies.
vi. Explain how CI works in conjunction with other agile practices.
vii. Keep answers concise and stick to the point.
viii. Revise key concepts and definitions extensively before the exam.
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Agile Project Management - Continuous Integration Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Continuous Integration

Question 1

During the Continuous Integration process, the team continues to integrate even when the build is broken resulting in compounding problems. What should be the correct course of action?

Correct Answer: Stop further integrations until the build is fixed.

In a Continuous Integration process, it is essential to stop further integrations until a broken build is fixed. That's because adding more changes while a build is broken can lead to compounded problems, making it difficult to identify the root cause of the issue and fix it. It doesn't help to fire the team member who broke the build, as this doesn't address the issue at hand - the broken build - and might discourage team members from taking risks in the future. Breaking down the build into smaller pieces might seem like a good approach, but it can be time-consuming and doesn't guarantee a solution to the problem - the build will still be broken and needs to be fixed first. The same thing applies to continuing the integration while waiting to hire expert help, which could even delay the resolution of the problem. The best course of action is to stop, fix the build, and then proceed with the integrations to maintain the integrity of the project.

Question 2

A team member accidentally introduces a bug that breaks the build. What action should be taken?

Correct Answer: Fix the issue immediately and commit the changes

To maintain the Continuous Integration process, issues that break the build must be addressed immediately to preserve the stability of the project.

Question 3

As an agile team, you've implemented Continuous Integration to keep all developers working on the latest version of a product. After a while, you notice code integration is slowing down. Upon investigation, you find that slower integration tests are the culprit. What is the best solution?

Correct Answer: Perform and pass Unit tests before Integration tests

The best solution to the problem stated in the question is to 'Perform and pass Unit tests before Integration tests.' This is because unit tests tend to be faster and less comprehensive than integration tests. By running and passing these tests first, you can ensure that any issues at the unit level are caught early on, which can prevent the slower, more comprehensive integration tests from being unnecessarily delayed by issues that could have been caught at an earlier stage. The other answers are incorrect for the following reasons: 'Remove some integration tests' is not a good solution, as these tests are important for ensuring that all parts of the software work together as intended. 'Switch off Continuous Integration' is also not advisable, as this would prevent developers from always working on the latest version of a product. Finally, 'Increase the machine power' might help to speed up the process somewhat, but it would not address the underlying issue of the integration tests being slowed down by issues that could be caught earlier.

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