Final answer:
The capability that enables developers to merge changes and automatically evaluate merges for integration issues in automation and scripting is Continuous Integration (CI). CI helps detect and fix integration problems quickly, thereby improving code quality and development speed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The capability within automation and scripting that allows developers to regularly merge their changes back to the main code branch and automatically evaluate each merge to help detect and fix integration problems is known as Continuous Integration (CI). CI is a development practice where developers integrate code into a shared repository frequently, preferably several times a day. Each integration can then be verified by an automated build and automated tests. This practice is part of the broader DevOps movement and aims to minimize the integration issues that can happen when working on software development projects, allowing teams to develop software more rapidly and with better quality.
Continuous Integration systems are usually part of the deployment pipeline and once set up, they monitor the version control system for changes. Then, they automatically compile the code and run tests every time a change is detected. The main benefits of CI include identifying errors quickly, improving code quality, and reducing the time it takes to validate and release new software updates.