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Travis CI

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Introduction to Travis CI

Travis CI is a continuous integration service used to build and test software projects hosted on GitHub. It is a popular tool among developers due to its ease of use and integration capabilities. Travis CI automates the process of running tests and deploying code, ensuring that your software remains in a deployable state.

Key Features of Travis CI

  • Integration with GitHub: Automatically triggers builds on code commits and pull requests.
  • Support for Multiple Languages: Supports a wide range of programming languages including Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and more.
  • Configuration via .travis.yml: Uses a simple YAML file to configure the build process.
  • Cloud-Based: No need to maintain your own build servers.
  • Extensible: Supports custom scripts and commands to fit your specific needs.

Setting Up Travis CI

Step 1: Sign Up and Link GitHub Repository

  1. Go to Travis CI and sign up using your GitHub account.
  2. Authorize Travis CI to access your GitHub repositories.
  3. Select the repository you want to integrate with Travis CI and enable it.

Step 2: Create .travis.yml Configuration File

Create a .travis.yml file in the root directory of your repository. This file will define the build and test process.

Example .travis.yml for a Python Project

language: python
python:
  - "3.8"
# Command to install dependencies
install:
  - pip install -r requirements.txt
# Command to run tests
script:
  - pytest

Explanation

  • language: Specifies the programming language.
  • python: Defines the Python versions to be used.
  • install: Commands to install dependencies.
  • script: Commands to run tests.

Step 3: Push Changes to GitHub

Commit and push the .travis.yml file to your GitHub repository. Travis CI will automatically detect the file and start the build process.

Practical Example

Let's walk through a practical example of setting up Travis CI for a simple Python project.

Project Structure

my-python-app/
├── .travis.yml
├── requirements.txt
├── app.py
└── test_app.py

requirements.txt

pytest

app.py

def add(a, b):
    return a + b

test_app.py

import pytest
from app import add

def test_add():
    assert add(1, 2) == 3
    assert add(-1, 1) == 0
    assert add(0, 0) == 0

.travis.yml

language: python
python:
  - "3.8"
install:
  - pip install -r requirements.txt
script:
  - pytest

Explanation

  1. Project Structure: The project contains a simple Python application with a function add and a test file test_app.py.
  2. requirements.txt: Lists the dependencies required for the project, in this case, pytest.
  3. app.py: Contains the add function.
  4. test_app.py: Contains tests for the add function.
  5. .travis.yml: Configures Travis CI to use Python 3.8, install dependencies, and run tests using pytest.

Running the Build

  1. Push the project to GitHub.
  2. Travis CI will automatically detect the .travis.yml file and start the build process.
  3. You can monitor the build status on the Travis CI dashboard.

Common Mistakes and Tips

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrect YAML Syntax: YAML is indentation-sensitive. Ensure proper indentation in the .travis.yml file.
  • Missing Dependencies: Ensure all required dependencies are listed in requirements.txt.
  • Incorrect Commands: Verify that the commands in the install and script sections are correct and executable.

Tips

  • Use Build Matrix: To test against multiple versions of a language or different environments, use the build matrix feature.
  • Cache Dependencies: Use caching to speed up the build process by caching dependencies.
  • Notifications: Configure notifications to get alerts on build status via email or other services.

Conclusion

Travis CI is a powerful tool for automating the build and test process of your software projects. By integrating Travis CI with your GitHub repository, you can ensure that your code is always in a deployable state. The .travis.yml configuration file allows you to customize the build process to fit your specific needs. With the practical example provided, you should be able to set up Travis CI for your own projects and start benefiting from continuous integration.

In the next module, we will explore another popular CI/CD tool: CircleCI.

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