Welcome to “More Application Development Tools.

” After
watching this video, you will be able to: Define the essential
tools utilized in cloud application development and explore
CI/CD and streamline deployment with build tools and package
managers. Let’s look at some tools which can help you get your
app built and deployed: CI/CD, build tools, packages, and
package managers. CI/CD refers to the practices of continuous
integration and either continuous delivery or continuous
deployment. CI/CD is a best practice for DevOps teams enabling
developers to deliver frequent changes reliably. Implemented
through a build-automation server, Continuous Integration (CI)
ensures that all the code components work together smoothly.
A CI build environment enables you to integrate newly
developed code frequently, at least every day, if not every
hour, depending on how quickly the project changes.
Continuous delivery (CD) begins where CI ends. The CI process
automatically builds and tests your code, and then CD deploys
all code changes in a build to a testing or staging environment.
A build tool transforms your source code into the binaries
needed for installation. You can use build tools to organize your
source code, set compile flags, and manage dependencies. They
are most important in environments with many interconnected
projects, with multiple developers contributing to each project.
In these environments, it can be very difficult to track what
changes were made, in what order, what dependencies exist,
and what needs to be incorporated in the next build, so
automation is key to keeping everything running smoothly.
Build automation can automate a wide variety of tasks that
developers do in their day-to-day activities like: Downloading
dependencies. Compiling source code into binary code.
Packaging that binary code. Running tests. Deployment to
production systems. You can initiate a build from the command
line or an IDE. There are two categories of Build Tools widely in
use. Build-automation utilities generate build artifacts like
executables by compiling and linking source code. Build-
automation servers, which execute build-automation utilities
on a scheduled or triggered basis. Some examples of build tools
are: Webpack, a module bundler for JavaScript, Babel, a
JavaScript compiler, Web Assembly, a binary instruction that
runs in your browser. Your app is developed and tested, so
you’re ready to deploy. But how does that happen? The app
needs to be simple and trouble-free for the user to install, so a
commonly used technique is collecting all the necessary files
and bundling them into a package. Packages are archive files
containing the app files, instructions for installation, and any
metadata you choose. They also have their own metadata,
including the package description, version, and any
dependencies, like other packages that must be installed
beforehand. Once you have bundled your app into a package,
you can use a package manager to distribute it. Package
managers take care of the tasks of finding, installing,
maintaining, or uninstalling software packages at the user's
request. Package management systems coordinate with file
archivers to extract package archives; verify checksums and
digital certificates to ensure the integrity and authenticity of
the package; locate, download, install, or update existing
software from a software repository; and manage
dependencies to ensure a package is installed with all required
packages. Some commonly used package managers for each of
the major platforms are listed here. On Linux, Debian Package
Management System (DPKG), Red Hat Package Manager (RPM),
on Windows, Chocolatey, on Android, Package Manager, on
macOS, Homebrew MacPorts. The cloud application package
managers manage any libraries or utility code developed as
part of the application. Here are some examples of package
managers for popular languages. For Node.js/JavaScript, npm,
for Java, Gradle, Maven. For Ruby, RubyGems. For Python, Pip
and Conda. In this video, you learned that: CI/CD practice is
essential for DevOps teams. CI ensures frequent integration of
codes, while CD automates building, testing, and deploying
code changes. Build tools transform your source code into the
binaries needed for installation. Packages are archive files
containing the app files, instructions for installation, and any
metadata you choose. And package managers are used for
finding, installing, maintaining, or uninstalling software
packages at the user's request.