What is continuous integration and how can I implement it in my Python projects?

What is continuous integration and how can I implement it in my Python projects?

Continuous integration (CI) is a software development practice where code changes are automatically tested and merged into a shared repository. For Python projects, you can implement CI using tools like GitHub Actions, Travis CI, or Jenkins.

Can you give me a simple example of a CI setup using GitHub Actions?

Sure! You can create a .github/workflows/ci.yml file in your repository with the following content:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
        with:
          python-version: '3.8'
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: |
          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
          pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: Run tests
        run: |
          pytest

What are some common tools used for continuous integration in Python?

Common tools for CI in Python include GitHub Actions, Travis CI, CircleCI, and Jenkins. Each has its own features and integrations.

How do I handle dependencies in my CI pipeline?

You can manage dependencies by creating a requirements.txt file that lists all your project dependencies. In your CI configuration, include a step to install these dependencies before running your tests.