Continuous Integration in C#

Introduction to Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice where developers frequently integrate their code into a shared repository. Each integration is verified by an automated build and automated tests to detect integration errors as quickly as possible.

Benefits of Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration offers several benefits, including:

• Early detection of bugs
• Reduced integration problems
• Improved software quality
• Faster development cycles

Setting Up Continuous Integration for a C# Project

To set up CI for a C# project, we will use Azure DevOps. Follow these steps:

1. Create a new project in Azure DevOps.
2. Navigate to the "Pipelines" section and create a new pipeline.
3. Select your source repository (e.g., GitHub, Azure Repos).
4. Configure the pipeline by selecting a template for .NET.

Example: Azure DevOps Pipeline for C#

Here is an example of a simple Azure DevOps pipeline configuration for a C# project:

trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'windows-latest'

steps:
- task: UseDotNet@2
  inputs:
    packageType: 'sdk'
    version: '5.x'
    installationPath: $(Agent.ToolsDirectory)/dotnet

- script: dotnet build --configuration Release
  displayName: 'Build project'

- script: dotnet test --no-build --verbosity normal
  displayName: 'Run tests'
                

Running the Pipeline

Once the pipeline is configured, you can run it manually or set it to trigger automatically with each code push. The pipeline will:

1. Install the .NET SDK
2. Build the project
3. Run the tests

The results of each step will be displayed in the Azure DevOps interface.

Example Output

Here is an example of the output you might see after running the pipeline:

Starting: Install .NET Core SDK
==============================================================================
Task         : .NET Core SDK Installer
Description  : Acquire a specific version of the .NET Core SDK from the internet or local cache and add it to the PATH
Version      : 2.176.1
Author       : Microsoft Corporation
Help         : https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/tool/dotnet-core-tool-installer
==============================================================================
Tool to install: .NET Core sdk version 5.x.
...
Successfully installed the .NET Core SDK.
...
Starting: Build project
==============================================================================
Task         : Command line
Description  : Run a command line script using Bash on Linux and macOS and cmd.exe on Windows
Version      : 2.176.1
Author       : Microsoft Corporation
Help         : https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/utility/command-line
==============================================================================
...
Build succeeded.
...
Starting: Run tests
==============================================================================
Task         : Command line
Description  : Run a command line script using Bash on Linux and macOS and cmd.exe on Windows
Version      : 2.176.1
Author       : Microsoft Corporation
Help         : https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/utility/command-line
==============================================================================
...
Test run for C:\path\to\your\project\bin\Release\net5.0\YourProject.dll(.NETCoreApp,Version=v5.0)
...
Total tests: 10. Passed: 10. Failed: 0. Skipped: 0.
Test Run Successful.
                

Conclusion

Continuous Integration is a crucial practice in modern software development. By setting up a CI pipeline for your C# projects, you can ensure that your code is always in a releasable state, reducing the risk of integration problems and improving code quality.