Which of the following best describes the purpose of Continuous Integration (C

Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice where developers frequently merge their code changes into a shared repository. Each merge triggers an automated build and test process, ensuring that the integrated code is functional and does not introduce new bugs. This practice allows teams to detect issues early in the development cycle, leading to higher code quality and faster development times. CI encourages a culture of collaboration and transparency, as all team members can see the latest changes and their impact on the project. Tools such as Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI are commonly used to implement CI practices, helping teams automate testing and streamline the integration process. Why Other Options are Wrong: A) While CI is part of the broader CI/CD pipeline, it specifically focuses on code integration rather than deployment automation, which is part of Continuous Delivery (CD). C) Managing infrastructure as code is a practice related to DevOps but is not the primary purpose of CI. D) Containerization is not a requirement of CI; it can be a separate consideration in the deployment process. E) Monitoring application performance post-deployment is a part of the operations aspect of CI/CD but is not included in the CI phase itself.