Gitlab 1-1 Introduction
Welcome to this first video about GitLab. In this introductory lesson we are going to learn what CI/CD means. CI stands for Continuous Integration, and CD stands for Continuous Delivery (or Continuous Deployment). This is a relatively recent concept that has gained huge popularity over the last few years, and more and more companies are adopting it.
What CI/CD actually is
CI/CD is a methodology aimed at delivering applications to clients by automatically inserting changes into the software development lifecycle. Concretely, it means automating every stage of development to minimize human intervention and, as a consequence, the number of human errors. In short, CI/CD automates integration, build, test and deployment of the code.
Why does that reduce errors? Throughout this course you will see that CI/CD makes building, developing and releasing software much easier. A developer can change lines of code that almost immediately reach the production version of the software. The potential gain is enormous: it aligns the development team with the release schedule. Today, where so much of the workflow can be automated, you only need a one-time setup of your CI/CD pipeline to be able to produce and ship multiple times per day.
One important clarification that will come back often: CI/CD is not a tool, a technology or a programming language. It is a methodology — a set of operating principles that need to be adopted to speed up software development and delivery. Some people new to the topic mistake it for a piece of technology or a language, but it is none of that. CI/CD is just a collection of standards and practices that a team agrees to follow. In essence, it forces a team to deliver code and changes frequently and predictably.
That is a first, simple understanding of what CI/CD really means. In the next video we will look at the individual terms — CI, CD, pipeline, job, stage, runner — one by one. Thanks for watching, see you in the next video.
Summary
This lesson introduces CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) as a methodology for automating software delivery. CI/CD enables teams to deliver applications automatically throughout the development lifecycle by minimizing manual intervention and reducing errors. It is not a specific tool or technology but rather a collection of standards and practices that teams must adopt to accelerate development and production cycles.
Key points
- CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment — a methodology, not a technology
- Automates all development stages (build, test, deployment) to minimize human error and reduce costs
- Allows developers to push code changes to production frequently, enabling rapid software delivery
- Requires teams to follow a set of principles and operational standards rather than adopting a specific tool
- Reduces the need for extensive manual intervention while allowing software to be released multiple times per day
FAQ
What does CI/CD stand for and why is it important?
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. It is important because it is a methodology that automates software development and delivery, minimizing human errors and allowing teams to deploy code changes frequently — sometimes multiple times per day — reducing time-to-market and improving overall software quality.
Is CI/CD a specific tool or technology?
No. CI/CD is not a tool or specific technology like a programming language. It is a collection of standards, practices, and operational principles that teams must adopt to automate and accelerate their development and deployment processes.
How does CI/CD minimize human errors in software development?
CI/CD minimizes human errors by automating the entire development lifecycle — including code building, testing, and deployment. By removing manual steps and reducing human intervention, the risk of mistakes is significantly reduced, and consistency in the software delivery process is improved.