What aspect of software development does Continuous Integration focus on?

Continuous Integration (CI) primarily emphasizes the automatic merging of code changes into a shared repository. This practice encourages developers to integrate their changes regularly—at least daily—which helps to prevent integration problems. When developers commit their code to the main branch frequently, automated builds and tests are triggered, ensuring that code is continuously checked for errors and is functional.

The benefits of this approach include early detection of issues, faster feedback on code changes, and a smoother development process. It promotes a collaborative environment where team members can work on their features independently but still integrate their work seamlessly into the main codebase without significant conflicts or delays.

While features such as collaborative feature design and testing procedures are important aspects of the software development lifecycle, they do not specifically define the core focus of Continuous Integration. Similarly, the final phase of deployment is a separate concern that typically falls under Continuous Deployment or Continuous Delivery, rather than CI itself.