How CI/CD Can Affect Software Developers’ Productivity

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March 10, 2021 Programming

The world of software is ever-changing and is very exciting to witness, as long as you understand what is going on. When you’re looking at different ways you can help your software be more productive then there’s no better system to use than CI/CD as you’re creating.

Maybe you’re an old pro at software development but if you are not familiar with CI/CD here is a pretty simple breakdown for you. Continuous Integration (CI) is when a development team merges code changes frequently. (Often, within hours of the previous change.) When a code is integrated into the shared area it is automatically verified into the build.

Verifying the code isn’t necessarily a part of Continuous Integration, however, it is most often implied since without verification the code will not work well and isn’t able to be used. Continuous Delivery (CD) is when a company releases the software that passes their quality checks into production without fanfare.

As your changes are ready to be pushed out after they pass your quality control checks, the working software automatically updates. This means your software is constantly improving, giving users the best possible experience, and giving your developers something to consistently work on.

CD works well when developers ensure that the codebase is always properly created and works well within your current system. When your changes are capable of passing your quality checks and pushed out into the working software, it is CD. CI and CD work well together so that code changes are automatically prepared to go out into the world.

Any time you are able to make changes to software and have them immediately activate into the system it will be good for your overall productivity. But breaking it down a little clearer, here are five reasons that CI/CD can help you increase your productivity.

Maximizes What Can Be Accomplished

It can sometimes be challenging to find developers when you need them. But when you give your developers a chance to master what they work on and make constant updates, you offer them the challenge to grow as a coder.

Using CICD pathways frees up your development team from monotony and allows them the chance to work on coding in real-time all the time. When your coding team can continuously focus on coding and pushing out changes they will ultimately be more productive. Any problems that arise can be dealt with as they occur, meaning there aren’t long delays.

Most developers will have a preference of what they enjoy coding so by narrowing in on their skill set and allowing them to focus on what interests them will keep your entire system’s productivity up. While it can be frustrating that code isn’t used in a timely manner after it’s been created, CICD can prevent that emotion since the code will always be used quickly.

Once you are able to verify code is completed you can make it go live. Releasing parts of the code as it is developed will then free up the software developer to continue developing more and continuously improving your software overall.

How CICD Can Save Time

If you find yourself struggling to figure out every possible configuration during the coding process then CICD can help ease that frustration. As you work in smaller iterations of code, the overall complexity will be decreased and your development speed will increase. CICD breaks down the bigger picture into manageable pieces and can make your job easier.

It can be complicated to figure out the workflow of CICD and to put in place with your team, but it can truly be the best practice process for coding. The foundation of CICD will allow the smaller controlled steps to merge your incremental changes quickly. Once your changes are approved in the testing repository it can be released, reducing your overall development time.

Any step that can be automated, should then be automated to make less work in the future. Saving time will ultimately save you money, and will make your code be able to be more functional as well. The more you automate your testing, you will be able to implement changes more regularly.

CICD Can Help Your Software Be More Flexible

Once you have determined you needed a change to the code the backbone of CICD is the quick feedback cycle to help reveal errors early. This allows developers and coders to figure out any problems or bugs before they grow or cause deeper problems. With short loops, any developer can see what works and not waste time.

WIth nice short loops in coding development, when developers can easily see what works and what doesn’t your software can be easily adapted. The flexibility of having software that is always learning can only benefit you. While changes may not work correctly on the first try but it is easy to see where changes need to be made.

As your developers add more features and weed out any changes and bugs that need to be fixed, the automated steps and testing will allow you to be more productive and flexible. Short feedback loops are vital to the success of CICD coding.

The shorter feedback loops still allow your team the chance to see the code in context and how it will help, but any problems will be easier to find and fix. And once you get quality feedback you can move on to the next thing that needs to be coded and discover how it fits in with your current system.

You can make shortening your feedback loops into a personal quest for betterment. If it currently takes you hours to get feedback can you adjust your system in order to get feedback in minutes? If it’s minutes can you make it take seconds? The faster you can get feedback, the more your code will be integrated and less likely to cause problems or errors in the future.

Keep Your Code Improving and Growing

All software works best if it can improve continuously. CICD is the perfect solution to improve your software in a completely natural way. Running quality assurance checks test throughout your coding process will let your software work well and constantly have changes deployed.

CICD helps all developers be able to catch mistakes quickly which will save you time and money, so you aren’t releasing code that will error or damage your system. Development without any manual steps involved in your code development process will help decrease mistakes made and rule out human error.

CICD integration is vital for continued success for developers. Avoiding human error will help your development team to feel less pressure as well. Getting confirmation of what works can also give developers a chance to keep learning and growing Keeping their job fresh and exciting can be helpful for job satisfaction as well.

As each code is released it can be tested and validated incrementally. This is why it’s so important when you’re using CICD integration to also have automatic rollback so you won’t fear to push out new work. As other companies increase their capabilities, you don’t want to be left behind. CICD is the best workflow system that can get new codes working for you faster!

Continuous Delivery Will Keeps Your Development Team Working

You want your team to be working and engaged. Using CICD A shorter feedback loop helps keeps the entire team productive and working hard. Any time you work slower than your competition you run the risk of falling behind creatively and professionally so constantly putting out new software edits can keep your software running smoothly and your developers happy.

Anytime you have the chance to keep your coding team using CICD and you will see how it will change the way your organization will react and develop software. Not only will your software be more productive but your development team will appreciate being able to spend time actually developing and enjoy their work.

Don’t underestimate what job satisfaction can bring to your team and software. CI/CD is the best solution for your development team. And your software will benefit from being worked on by people who are creatively inspired. That is positive news for any and all companies and makes CI/CD integration an important technique to use.

Conclusion

When you are in need of a great software process that can help your team be more productive, consider utilizing a CI/CD pipeline. When you can make these tools and processes work for you, your productivity will be unmatched.