CAD Continuous Integration and Testing Flashcards

How does feature branching interact with continuous integration best practices?

Answer: Short-lived feature branches merged frequently minimize integration risk

Short-lived branches merged frequently keep integration pain low and align with CI principles of integrating code at least daily.

What role does code coverage metrics play in a CI pipeline for Agile teams?

Answer: It provides a quantitative indicator of how much code is exercised by tests, guiding testing efforts

Code coverage shows the percentage of code executed during tests, helping teams identify untested areas without guaranteeing correctness.

Which CI practice helps Agile teams detect integration issues at the earliest possible stage?

Answer: Triggering automated builds and tests on every commit to the main branch

Building and testing on every commit provides the fastest feedback loop, catching integration problems as soon as they are introduced.

What is the purpose of a test double such as a mock or stub in unit testing within a CI context?

Answer: To isolate the unit under test by replacing external dependencies with controlled substitutes

Test doubles replace real dependencies so that unit tests run fast, are deterministic, and test only the specific unit of code.

Why is it important for CI builds to provide fast feedback to developers?

Answer: Quick feedback allows developers to fix issues while the context is still fresh in their minds

Fast CI feedback lets developers address problems immediately rather than context-switching back to code written hours or days earlier.

What is the significance of maintaining a single source repository in continuous integration?

Answer: It ensures all team members integrate against the same codebase, reducing divergence and merge conflicts

A single source repository serves as the authoritative codebase where all changes converge, enabling true continuous integration.