How do you apply continuous integration to different types of software?

To implement Continuous Integration (CI) for web applications, establish a robust pipeline to manage code complexity and ensure compatibility across browsers and platforms. Utilize a version control system (VCS) such as Git or SVN for code management and collaboration. Incorporate a CI server like Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitHub Actions to automate building, testing, and deployment processes to diverse environments. Employ code quality tools like SonarQube, ESLint, or Code Climate to identify errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, and style issues. Utilize testing frameworks like Mocha, Jest, or Selenium for unit, integration, and end-to-end testing.

The text is not wrong but focuses a bit too much on lists of tools. Some improvements: Deployment is mentioned. We usually don't include deployment in CI, then we call it continous deploymen (CD) and they can be combined CI/CD. Focus the VCS part on the important capability to have your code under control as a team, sharing, being able to find older versions, knowing that there always is one source of truth. CI servers now usually inclue a pipeline functionality, the possibility to define a series of activities that you want to happen when e.g. commiting code to the main branch. Those activities can include static code analysis and unit testing but also higher levels of test and release and deployment.

In addition, integrating a code quality tool like SonarQube, ESLint, or Code Climate enables the identification of errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, and style discrepancies within the codebase. Utilizing a testing framework like Mocha, Jest, or Selenium allows for the creation and execution of unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests for the web application, ensuring its functionality and reliability. Furthermore, employing a code coverage tool such as Istanbul, Coveralls, or Codecov helps determine the extent to which your code is tested and pinpoint any areas of potential risk or oversight.

Applying continuous integration to different types of software involves automating the process of merging code changes, running tests, and deploying updates. By integrating CI into software development workflows, teams can catch errors early, ensure consistent code quality, and streamline the release process. Whether it's web applications, mobile apps, or desktop software, CI helps maintain a reliable and efficient development cycle.

To implement Continuous Integration (CI) for mobile applications, tailor a pipeline to address platform-specific requirements and user needs. Utilize version control systems like Git or SVN for code management, and CI servers such as Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitHub Actions for automated building, testing, and deployment. Employ code quality tools like SonarQube or Lint to ensure error-free code and adherence to style guidelines. Integrate testing frameworks like JUnit or Appium for unit and UI testing, and code coverage tools like JaCoCo or Xcode to assess test coverage. Finally, deploy mobile apps to app stores or beta testers using deployment tools like Fastlane or Firebase for efficient distribution and feedback collection.

To implement Continuous Integration (CI) for embedded systems, customize a pipeline to manage hardware dependencies and ensure reliability and safety. Utilize version control systems like Git or SVN for code management and collaboration. Integrate CI servers such as Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitHub Actions to automate building, testing, and deployment processes. Employ code quality tools like SonarQube, Cppcheck, or CodeSonar to identify errors and style issues. Utilize testing frameworks like CUnit, CppUTest, or Google Test for unit testing. Measure code coverage using tools like Gcov, Lcov, or CppCover to assess test coverage.

This is a lot of repetition from the general introduction, that part can be removed. The biggest challenge in embedded CI is to find ways to interact with the hardware to run test. Unit tests and builds can be run without dependencies to custom hardware but you usually want to run test activities where you deploy to your specific hardware and verify the functionality. You might then also need custom test frameworks and simulators to interact with the hardware.

A general thought about metrics like code coverage: while changes in metrics can flag potential problems, using trends as inputs into something like a sprint retrospective is probably the best use of them. While the boundaries are pretty clear (no tests are bad, 100% coverage may not be a win) evaluating the areas in the middle involves questions like “are we Delivering value to stakeholders”