Continuous Integration (CI): Automatically building and testing the code every time someone pushes changes, so problems are caught early.
Example
When you push your branch, the CI check runs all the tests and shows a red cross because one test failed.
Why Continuous Integration (CI) matters for IT interns
A failing CI check usually means your Pull Request can’t be merged yet. Learn to read what failed and why.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term when your team builds, deploys, and runs software on servers and cloud platforms. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Cloud Storage: Storing files and data on a cloud provider’s servers and accessing them over the internet.
- Container: A lightweight package containing an application and everything it depends on, which runs the same way on any…
- Continuous Deployment (CD): Automatically releasing tested changes to an environment, sometimes all the way to production.
- Deployment: Moving a new version of software onto the servers or environment where it runs, so people can use it.
- DevOps: A way of working that brings development and operations together, using automation to build, release and run…
- Docker: A popular tool for packaging an application with everything it needs into a container, so it runs the same…
Previous term: Continuous Deployment (CD) | Next term: CRUD
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Continuous Integration (CI)?
Automatically building and testing the code every time someone pushes changes, so problems are caught early.
What is an example of Continuous Integration (CI)?
When you push your branch, the CI check runs all the tests and shows a red cross because one test failed.
Why does Continuous Integration (CI) matter for IT interns?
A failing CI check usually means your Pull Request can’t be merged yet. Learn to read what failed and why.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
Browse all 199 terms
About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.