A software development practice where developers frequently merge code changes into a shared repository, with each change automatically built and tested. Like a quality control checkpoint on an assembly line that catches defects early, CI ensures code changes don't break existing functionality. AWS CodeBuild, Azure Pipelines, Google Cloud Build, and OCI DevOps all provide CI services.
When a developer pushes code to GitHub, a CI pipeline automatically runs unit tests, integration tests, and security scans. If tests pass, the code can proceed to deployment. AWS CodePipeline, Azure DevOps, and GCP Cloud Build orchestrate these workflows.