All most all software development team consist of more than one developer and most of the time it will be aroung 10( Or less than 10) for XP programming practices. If we consider particular source file in a project repositary, it may be modified by more one developer within a particular day(or time period). After day work they will try to upload(commit changes) their changes to the project repositary. Source version cotrol systen like SVN will merge the source files if there is no any conflicts in line level. If there is any conflict in a paticular line it will inform the commiter and allow to choose proper code snipt for that line. This is the common pactice most of software development team do.
Basically there are two kind of ways to break the system when integrate the all deveoploers work into a single source .
Language Systax change
When Merging the source files, Laguage syntax may be arrange as wrong way.
Busness meaning change
Another big issue of this automatic file merging process is code restructure which will be caused to happen misleading behaviour of the software system. The critically of this is that it is no may possible to find this kind of bug untill release testing.
Continues Integration concept came up to solve this prolem and it would be very very usefull for our development process. Basically it’s all about Monitering SVN Source changes , If any change happen then download the source code from the Source version control system,check source stabilty , and inform to the developers and other responsible people if there is an any misbehaviour of the system.
Basically It consist of three phases
1) Monitoring Source version control system
2) Check out the source
3) Checking source Stability (Normaly doing builg the code and run the test cases on the source)
Continues Integration Tool
There are few tool which will support to acheive “Continues Integration” Best software development practice.
CruiseControl – This Tool is support for java development
CruiseControl.NET – This tool support for .NET application development
Both tool are developed and publics by ThoughWorks and those are free to download and use.
Last days i was seting up a continues Integration System for our project. Due to My project was .NET application i used CruiseControl.NET Tool for our purpose.
Later I would like discuss how to set up Continues Integration System for Your .NET Application Development Project Using CruiseControl.NET and MSBuild.
Cheers
Lakmal
To read more about continues integration http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html
