December 8, 2024

Software development is not an easy process. It involves a lot of trial and error. Not only that, but software development also includes various steps and stages. There are many tools called build tools that assist in the process of software creation and development. These tools make the task of developing software much easier and more convenient. Building tools or even applications such as maven, ant, and even gradle and some of the popular ones.

Are you wondering what exactly is build management? Do you have no idea what happens during software development? If you’re looking for the answers to these questions, you’re in the right hands! Don’t worry. We’re going to run by some important points about build management and how it is related to software development. This guide will break down every little thing you need to know about what exactly build management is.

Understanding the basics of build management

Understanding build management is not difficult at all. It is basically the task of automatically compiling raw codes or source codes into useable packages and files. Aspects such as the accuracy of the compilation, scheduling, and even automating are all taken care of by the management portion. Build management basically controls a software’s life cycle. It controls the build of the software in the various stages.

Sometimes you might also see synonyms for build management like build automation. Do not get confused. Both imply the same thing. It involves the turning and computing of source codes into releasable and functioning binaries. It also performs tests to ensure that every single piece of individual code behave as it should without any glitch or defect.

Build management usually takes place in five different types of environments or stages. This means that the planning, controlling of the builds, and even managing and scheduling occur in different environments. Let’s take a look at what exactly these environments or stages are in the process of software development.

  • Development Environment

Development is the first stage in the process of build management. It is the stage where the development team writes the coding for the software. The development environment is something that is accessible only to this team. No other team in the software creation process can access this environment. The team of developers will make use of this environment to write test codes and cases.

  • QA Environment

Once the development team runs and writes the test codes, the second stage is the QA environment. This stage belongs to the testing team. What happens in this stage is very simple to understand. So, basically, the codes written by the developers in the first stage gets tested here. Code execution takes place in this environment, and only the QA team has access to this environment. The codes for the software gets tested to see if any discrepancies or errors creep up.

  • User Acceptance Testing Environment

This is the stage when another type of testing is done. This type of testing is usually done by business users. The software gets tested from a business perspective, and this usually happens once all the system testing gets completed by the QA team. User Acceptance Testing environment is also accessible only to business users. But in certain cases where help is a need, the QA team can also get access.

  • Staging and Production Environment

Staging and production environments are the last stages of the software’s development. These are the stages and environments where neither the development nor the QA team has access. The staging environment is somewhat similar to the production environment. In the production environment, the software gets accessed only by real users.

How to smoothly run build management for software development

Like every other thing, software creating and development also needs to run smoothly. The process of developing a software is not an easy task at the least. So much effort goes into it. So, it is only natural that developers will want to make the process as easy, smooth, and convenient as possible. There are many great tips and ways to achieve this. The process of build management to develop a software will get easier and simpler for you if you follow these easy-to-follow steps.

  • Gather requirements and plan the build

This is a crucial stage where all the requirements and needs of the client should be properly documented. Finding out what your client or customers want is key to delivering great software in the end. You should map out a process to go about how and when the build will get completed. Plan out what to include or exclude in the build. Once this is done, you can begin automating your build seamlessly.

  • Try to build using automation

It does not come as a surprise that things that get automated tend to save much more time than if done manually. If you automate your builds, the result be will that it will consume lesser time to finish the build. Moreover, it will also reduce the number of errors in the build itself. Build errors can take up much of your time. So make sure you try automating your builds.

  • It is good to know manual building

One cannot always rely on automated building. This is because of the possibility that sometimes errors can also creep up in automated building. Moreover, there are chances that the people who wrote the code are no longer part of the company or team. There are also chances of change in patches, operating systems, or even glitches and upgrades that can disrupt the automated building process. This will affect the testing and even release dates. In such cases, knowing how to build manually comes in handy!

  • Keep checking and updating

Being reckless or careless has no place in build management. There is a crucial need for continuous checking and updating of old codes with newer codes. This is so that errors or even bugs get detected earlier on rather than in the later stages, such as in the production stage. Detection of bugs in the later stages can be costly both in terms of labor hours and even to the company’s name. So, developers should constantly check their codes and update their builds. Testing is key here for example if we look at the development of Free Fuckbook, a top-rated free sex site and app, they had to do extensive tests to debug their innovative feature of location based searching before being able to offer it with confidence upon their launch.

Conclusion

Software developers and the different teams that turn codes into useable files and packages have tons of crucial and important work to do. Developing a software from scratch is a task that requires so many skills and knowledge. Build management is just one of the ways to make software development easier, convenient, and more organized.

Build management consists of a number of planned out stages and environments where a software gets coded, tested, and finally released. If you’re someone who is new to the world of software development, this easy-to-follow guide will surely clear up any confusions you have.

Build automation tools are software that compiles the string of commands into the language the machine directly understands and responds to. These tools help in automating the entire process, subsequently cutting down manual work notably. That being said, below is the list of tools you should definitely try!

Jenkins

Jenkins is one of the leading open-source tools to build software, test, and deploy any project. It can be used either as a continuous delivery hub or as a Continuous Integration (CI) server according to the requirement. It is suitable for any size of business, from small to large ones owing to its versatile support system for various platforms. You do not have to pay an amount to use this tool.

CodeShip

CodeShip allows creators to implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CD) in the cloud. It aids in developing applications for much bigger build tasks. Hence, it can be used even by individuals to professionally big organizations. One can choose the basic plan, essential plan, or the pro plan according to interest.

TeamCity

Small as well as larger businesses can make use of TeamCity. It is a solution for Continuous Integration. The build server provides cloud integration while allowing you to store build history. All errors are reported to the developer in real-time, which can be fixed directly or assigned to the other members.

Apache Ant

Apache Ant (Another Neat Tool) is a command-line tool used on the Java platform. Its chief purpose is to build Java applications. The tool by Apache Software Foundation is portable and has the merit of being easy to use for projects. Therefore, even individuals can use this for their personal interest as much as it is helpful for businesses. Developers can use this build tool to compile, re-compile, convert the source code, and run a software test. It doesn’t require developers to pay to make use of this flexible and handy tool.

Maven

One can use Maven for documenting and managing projects written in Java language. It is an automation tool by Apache Software Foundation to aid in providing functionalities for creating various projects. This management tool is known for simplifying a developer’s work in many ways, similar to ANT. However, Maven is much more advanced. Providing quality plug-ins, project information, and a uniform build system makes the entire process easier. Furthermore, it allows the team to work on many projects simultaneously. This is good for a company like LSA Networks which develops dating sites and applications to find a local sex hookup. They have the ability to develop and push different projects based on region all at the same time.

BuildMaster

BuildMaster by Inedo is an automation tool that performs CI and CD for various platforms. One can depend on it to release software on the targeted time and date with release notes and rollbacks. You can build any kind of application on .NET, PHP, Node.js, Java, etc. Apart from creating and maintaining, the software can be deployed on the cloud, Windows, mobile, and a lot more. In addition, BuildMaster can run an automated test and let the team know if there are errors or failures. It eliminates man-made errors that could have consumed a lot of time.

Gradle

Any developer will choose to speed up various projects, be it for a small startup or an established large company if the option exists. Gradle allows a creator to automate and build more quickly while ensuring the delivery of better software.

CirlcleCI

This is a platform for delivering CI and CD, which is free for trying for some stipulated period. Besides automated deployments, it also provides a heads-up when there is an error.

Travis CI

Travis CI allows developers to sync any of their projects and test the code in a short span of time. Once your application is tested, Travis CI ensures that you can deploy your application with confidence. It supports Java, Ruby, iOS, and a lot more and is free of cost for open-source projects.

Bamboo

A developer can build and deploy projects with Bamboo. It also performs the task of testing and releasing professionally. Bamboo is free to use for 30 days, after which one can choose any of the two plans offered for small or more extended teams.

Azure DevOps Server

Azure DevOps Server lets teams plan and collaborate smartly to develop and work on any project smartly. Any team can make use of its software development tools. The platform, formerly known as Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS), tracks bugs and tasks efficiently.

Chef

Chef provides a platform for defining IAC (Infrastructure As Code). In other words, it is an automation tool to manage infrastructure through code. It performs application deployment and configuration of infrastructure, which can be a collaborative project of security engineers, developers, and operations engineers.

These build automation tools speed up the entire process of getting all the critical and insignificant yet bulky tasks done. Each with its own merit saves a developer’s time, energy, and money to a large extent.

Surely nobody could’ve seen it coming in the 80s that tech geniuses would be ruling the market decades later. Mostly what you make use of on a daily basis, some way or the other employs software. These include mobile phones, computers, laptops, and the upcoming electric cars. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most famous software engineers. 

This list of tech giants may or may not have the names of those you’re familiar with. Regardless, these software engineers surely played a consequential role in shaping the tech scene today.

A Look At Some Of The Most Famous Software Engineers

  • Marc Andreessen

A general partner and co-founder of the Andreessen Horowitz and Netscape, Marc Andreessen is a famous software engineer. Born in 1971, July 9, he’s also a well-known American investor and entrepreneur. Opsware was among the other creations that he sold to Hewlett-Packard. 

Currently, his net worth stands at more than a whopping USD 645 million. Marc Andreessen is also the co-founder of the pioneer web browser, Mosaic. He also co-founded the popular company that offers a platform for many social networking sites, Ning

To top it all of, Marc is also a stakeholder in one of the most used social media platforms, Facebook. 

  • Eric Schmidt

From 2001-11, the software engineer and technology businessman was at the helm of Google. He played a pivotal role in shaping Google and Alphabet Inc. as their executive chairman. The time frames for the same are 2011-15 and 2015-17, respectively.

As of June 25, 2021, Eric Emerson Schmidt has a net worth of USD 25.3 billion. 

His first venture began with IT firms such as Bell Labs, Byzromotti Design, and the likes. Eric Schmidt held technical positions in these firms. He went on to engineer a program called Lex alongside Mike Lesk. 

Till 2009, Marc Emerson Schmidt was also a part of the board of directors at Apple Inc. 

  • Jimmy Wales

One of the early pioneers of the free culture movement, Jimmy Wales, co-founded Wikipedia. He played a monumental role in shaping Wikipedia the way we know it today. 

Apart from that, Jimmy Donal Wales is a former trader in the financial circles, a webmaster, and an internet entrepreneur. The for-profit variant of Wikipedia, that is, Fandom (earlier called Wikia), was also another one of his creations.

At present, Jimmy Wales has a current net worth of USD 1 million. 

  • Dave Cutler

His is a name that’s widely famous in the world of operating systems (OS).

David Neil Cutler Sr. helped engineered many well-known OS such as OpenVMS, VAXELN, and even Microsoft Windows NT. 

He was influential in the creation of AMD64 after the exit of Digital and Alpha. Also, Dave Cutler was among the brains behind the Azure Services Platform, a venture of Microsoft. 

Dave Cutler also helped developed Microsoft’s gaming console, Xbox One. The area of his focus was on engineering the OS for the said console, Hyper-V Host.