An introduction to CI/CD Chains with GitHub Actions

Create your CI/CD chain for bioinformatics projects using GitHub Actions for a bioinformatic use case.

CI/CD stands for “Continuous Integration” and “Continuous Deployment/Delivery,” also referred to as the CI/CD chain, is a programming practice that enhances the automation and monitoring of code from integration through testing and deployment

The CI/CD chain is structured into various stages, each designated to perform several processes that contribute to a more smooth and error-free codebase. Each stage ensure that each code modifications are integrated, tested, and deployed .

Continuous Integration (CI) is designed to facilitate regular modifications to the code. It automates critical aspects such as code reviews, testing, and linting, allowing developers to integrate changes more frequently and detect errors sooner. Thus, it helps in maintaining high code quality and accelerating the development cycle.

Following CI, Continuous Deployment/Delivery (CD) refers to the automated integration of code modifications into the deployment environment. This phase ensures that each new code modification is deployable .

Incorporating CI/CD chains is often complemented by utilizing code versioning system hosts such as GitLab or GitHub.