PHP CI/CD Complete Beginner's Guide: Quick Start with Automated Deployment

Overview of PHP CI/CD Beginner Guide

This guide provides PHP developers with a complete CI/CD tutorial, detailing how to build automated workflows for building, testing, and deploying applications step by step. CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment) is a key practice in modern software development that speeds up delivery, improves code quality, and reduces deployment risks. By following this tutorial, you will learn how to optimize PHP development using CI/CD tools.

Introduction to Continuous Integration and Deployment

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) are best practices for automating the software development process, allowing more frequent and reliable releases. For PHP developers, a CI/CD pipeline can significantly improve efficiency and code quality. This article will guide you through setting up a basic PHP CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins and GitHub Actions for automated workflows.

Setting Up Jenkins

Jenkins is a popular CI/CD server. First, install Jenkins on your server. You can refer to the official documentation for download and installation instructions.

Creating a GitHub Repository

Create a new GitHub repository to store your PHP code. Make sure to add a .gitignore file to exclude files that shouldn't be committed, such as the vendor/ directory.

Creating a Jenkins Job

Log in to the Jenkins dashboard and create a new job. Select “Freestyle project” and configure the following:

• Project Name: Enter the job name
• SCM: Choose Git and enter your GitHub repository URL
• Build Triggers: Select “Poll SCM” and set the polling interval, e.g., every 5 minutes
• Build Steps: Add the following commands

sh "composer install"
sh "phpunit"
sh "Docker build -t my-php-image ."

Connecting Jenkins with GitHub

In your GitHub repository settings, find the integration options, add Jenkins, and authorize access. This ensures that Jenkins builds are automatically triggered whenever code is updated.

Configuring GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is GitHub's CI/CD platform. Create a workflow file in your repository at .github/workflows/ci.yml and add the following content:

on: [push]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: "7.4"
      - run: composer install
      - run: phpunit
      - run: docker build -t my-php-image .

Triggering the CI/CD Pipeline

After pushing code changes to the GitHub repository, Jenkins and GitHub Actions will automatically trigger the CI/CD pipeline, enabling automated build and testing.

Deploying to Production

Once the CI/CD pipeline completes successfully, you can manually or automatically deploy the code to the production environment. For example, use Jenkins' Docker plugin to deploy images to a Kubernetes cluster for rapid deployment.

CI/CD Best Practices

• Use version control to track code changes
• Automate all build, test, and deployment processes
• Set up unit and integration tests to ensure code quality
• Regularly review and optimize your CI/CD pipeline

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you can set up a basic PHP CI/CD pipeline for automated building, testing, and deployment. Continuous integration and deployment improve development efficiency and code quality. Adhering to best practices will make your development workflow more efficient and stable.