Continuous Integration CI is a universal technique in software development It is designed to eliminate many of the problems that can occur during the development process and quicken the rate at which code is developed In this guide we take a closer look at how to set up Continuous Integration with Pull Requests something that every modern Git developer should be familiar with

What is Continuous Integration CI

Continuous Integration CI refers to a software development practice where developers regularly integrate their code changes into a central repository These are then followed by automated builds and tests This helps to identify bugs early on and thus reduces the chances of them being compounded

Why do you need CI integrated with Pull Requests

Pull requests are a way to merge code after a review When developers merge CI into Pull Requests they make sure that any code changes are compiled and tested automatically before being merged into the main codebase This significantly increases the quality reliability and speed of the development workflow


How to Implement Continuous Integration with Pull Requests


  • Configure a CI System: To make it work, the first step is to install a CI system Jenkins Travis CI CircleCI GitHub Actions

  •  Connect Your Repository: Link your repository to the CI system you chose. This may be done through the repository URL and other tokens, depending on your CI provider

  • Setup Build Configuration: After connecting the repository, create a build configuration that specifies how you would like your code to be built tested and packaged. This configuration could involve compiling code executing tests and preparing code for deployment

  •  Better Trigger Definition: Create triggers for the build configuration These are generally automated for different events, eg, code pushes, pull requests, etc. Triggering a build on pull requests means that code changes are validated earlier

  • Code Review and Approval Configuration: Set up code review and approval settings in your CI system to enforce quality on your codebase Some can also allow you to invite team members for the pull request review and approval process before a build is executed

  • Monitor and Improve: Finally watch the build results and make enhancements There may be a need to streamline the build pipeline increase the tests scope or fix some weak points Incorporate what you have learned from this into your deployment so that the build remains at its highest level

To summarize combining Continuous Integration with pull requests is critical in ensuring that the quality and reliability of your software development process are high By following the steps laid out in this guide you will be able to use powerful CI tools that will automatically build and test your code in turn saving your team time and enabling you to get highquality software out to your users sooner And so happy coding