buildtorelease

Buildtorelease is a term used in software engineering to describe the portion of the software delivery process that begins when a software artifact is built and ends with its release to users. It encompasses build, packaging, versioning, verification, and release management, and is a key component of DevOps practices and continuous delivery.

The typical workflow begins with source control triggering a build. The build step compiles code, runs automated tests, and packages the product into deployable artifacts. Artifacts are stored in a centralized repository with metadata such as version numbers and build identifiers. Before release, artifacts undergo validation, security checks, and compliance reviews. Approved artifacts are deployed through environments—from development and staging to production—with release notes and change logs documenting changes. Rollback procedures and auditing are planned in advance.

Tools and practices include CI/CD pipelines (for example, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure Pipelines, CircleCI) that automate builds and deployments. Artifact repositories (Nexus, Artifactory, GitHub Packages) store binaries and their metadata. Practices such as reproducible builds, automated testing, dependency management, and secret handling are emphasized. Deployment strategies like canary releases and blue-green deployments help reduce risk during release.

Challenges include flaky builds, long release cycles, dependency drift, and security risks. Best practices emphasize automation, robust versioning, traceability of artifacts, and clear release governance to ensure reliable and auditable delivery.