From source code to artifact
Developers keep source code in a repository. A build can compile that code, bundle website files, or package a mobile app. The resulting files, such as a website bundle, container image, or installable app, are build artifacts. People also call the resulting version a “build”.
A bundle groups code and other files into fewer files that a browser can load. Bundling can also prepare or optimise code, but it is not the same thing as compiling it.
Developers can build on their computers. Teams often use a CI/CD pipeline to build a shared version consistently, then store and deploy the artifact.
A successful build is one check
A successful build shows that the files were produced, not that the product works correctly. Teams test the result before release and record which source change produced each artifact.