What is CI/CD pipelines and how to use in flutter

What is a CI/CD Pipeline?

CI/CD stands for:

• CI (Continuous Integration): Automatically build and test your code whenever you push changes to your version control (e.g., GitHub).
• CD (Continuous Delivery/Deployment): Automatically release your code to a testing/staging/production environment after the CI step passes.

Together, CI/CD ensures your app is always ready to ship, reduces manual work, and improves code quality.

CI/CD Pipeline in Flutter

In a Flutter project, a CI/CD pipeline might:

1. Fetch dependencies (flutter pub get)
2. Run tests (flutter test)
3. Build the app (APK, IPA, Web, etc.)
4. Deploy to:
   • Play Store / App Store
   • Firebase App Distribution
   • Internal staging/testing servers

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How to Set Up CI/CD for Flutter

There are multiple CI/CD tools you can use for Flutter, like:

1. GitHub Actions (Popular and Free for Open Source)

# .github/workflows/flutter-ci.yml
name: Flutter CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Set up Flutter
        uses: subosito/flutter-action@v2
        with:
          flutter-version: '3.13.0'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: flutter pub get

      - name: Analyze code
        run: flutter analyze

      - name: Run tests
        run: flutter test

      - name: Build APK
        run: flutter build apk --debug

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2. Codemagic

• CI/CD platform made specifically for Flutter.
• Offers:
  • Easy UI setup
  • Automatic Play Store/App Store deployment
• Add codemagic.yaml in project root, or configure via their web dashboard.

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3. Bitrise, GitLab CI, CircleCI, etc.

• All support Flutter with custom config files
• Good for teams already using these platforms

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Benefits of CI/CD in Flutter

• Catch bugs early with automated testing
• Faster feedback on pull requests
• Consistent, reproducible builds
• Easier deployment to users or testers

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Want Deployment Too?

For full CD (e.g., releasing to Play Store or Firebase):

• Add secrets (like keystore, service account, etc.) to your CI/CD tool
• Use CLI tools:
  • fastlane for App Store / Play Store
  • firebase appdistribution:distribute for Firebase