Continuous development pertains to the process allowing companies to release software in just a few minutes instead of several days or weeks. Continuous development can also be considered as extension of non-stop integration aiming to minimize lead time, the time that has elapsed between the developments of writing a new line of code. This newest code is utilized by live users in the production.
To accomplish continuous development, a team relies on the infrastructure that instruments and automates the steps that lead to deployment so that after every successful integration meeting the released criteria, live applications are updated with the newest codes. Instrumentation is also required to ensure suggestions on low quality results to abort deployment process, roll back new features and trigger human intervention.
More about Continuous development
Continuous development is also said to be the next step before continuous delivery wherein you are not only creating a deployable package, but actually deploying this package steadily. Several small and big companies are now using this and having developers deploying master to production many times each day. This is actually one great goal to work for various companies, but this is not the absolute requirement and might be counterproductive to some.
Benefits of Continuous Development
Continuous development entails enormous benefits and when you pursue the principles of continuous development, you can certainly accomplish these benefits. These include the following:
• Lower Stress
One of the surprising benefits of continuous deployment is noticeable and significant reduction of stress. By fully implementing this, individuals can stay calm and relieved in delivering value to users.
• Greater Flow
Individuals can now have a way towards quick flow valuable improvements to their customers.
• Less WIP
This enables individuals to have less work along the process. Work can now be easily divided and deployed.
• Easier Recovery
Since minimal quantity of code is released, it would be easier to discover problems and rectify them.
The benefits of continuous deployment are immense and undeniable. Many business developers guide and owners would agree that when they fully implement this type of deployment, they have an extremely better return on investment. So, the most compelling definition of continuous development must be the consistent deployment of code into the production as the features are completed and you have conformed to the release criteria of these features.
The criteria actually depends on personal situation and might be running some code reviews, automated tests, load tests and manual verifications. It can just have another pair of eyes looking at the feature and making sure that nothing would explode. Specific criteria vary, but the main idea is having a steadily flowing channel that pushes changes to production and keeping this channel as realistic as possible.
There are many factors that guarantee why continuous deployment is genuinely beneficial to individuals and organizations. Its enormous benefits are one of the reasons why many people and businesses are tapping on this. To get this deployment work, you need to make your continuous integration solid. In such way, you can expect for continuous deployment to function at its fullest.