What does the abbreviation CI/CD mean and what is the difference between them?

CI/CD is an abbreviation that denotes two related but distinct processes in software development and delivery:

• CI (Continuous Integration) — continuous integration. This practice involves frequently merging code changes into a shared repository branch. Each commit is automatically built and tested, allowing for quick detection of errors and conflicts.

• CD (Continuous Delivery/Continuous Deployment) — continuous delivery or continuous deployment. After successful integration and testing, changes are automatically prepared for release (Continuous Delivery) or immediately deployed to production (Continuous Deployment).

Main difference:

• CI focuses on automating the build and testing of code.
• CD extends this process by automating the release and delivery of the application to users.

Example:

Developer pushes code → CI system runs build and tests → if successful, CD system automatically deploys the update to a test or production server.