Continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) are software engineering practices that aim to shorten the development cycle and provide rapid and reliable delivery of software. They are often used in the context of agile software development, as they help to align with the principles of agility such as rapid delivery of working software and the ability to respond to change.
In CI, developers integrate their code changes into a shared code repository frequently, typically several times a day. Each integration is verified by an automated build, allowing teams to detect problems early and locate issues more easily.
CD involves the automation of the build, test, and release process, allowing teams to deliver code changes more frequently and with lower risk. By automating the delivery process, teams can deliver value to their customers faster and more reliably.
CI and CD practices can help agile teams to deliver software more quickly and efficiently, and can be a key enabler of a successful agile transformation.