Pipeline Using Docker

You’re now ready to create your Pipeline that will automate building your Node.js and React application in Jenkins. Your Pipeline will be created as a Jenkinsfile, which will be committed to your locally cloned Git repository (simple-node-js-react-npm-app).

This is the foundation of "Pipeline-as-Code", which treats the continuous delivery pipeline as a part of the application to be versioned and reviewed like any other code. Read more about Pipeline and what a Jenkins file is in the Pipeline and Using a Jenkins file sections of the User Handbook.

First, create an initial Pipeline to download a Node Docker image and run it as a Docker container (which will build your simple Node.js and React application). Also add a "Build" stage to the Pipeline that begins orchestrating this whole process.

1. Using your favorite text editor or IDE, create and save new text file with the name Jenkinsfile at the root of your local simple-node-js-react-npm-app Git repository.

2. Copy the following Declarative Pipeline code and paste it into your empty Jenkinsfile:

pipeline {
    agent {
        docker {
            image 'node:10.0.0' 
            args '-p 3000:3000 -u root ' 
        }
    }
    stages {
        stage('Build') { 
            steps {
                sh 'npm install' 
            }
        }
    }
}

This image parameter (of the agent section’s docker parameter) downloads the node latest Docker image (if it’s not already available on your machine) and runs this image as a separate container. This means that: You’ll have separate Jenkins and Node containers running locally in Docker. The Node container becomes the agent that Jenkins uses to run your Pipeline project. However, this container is short-lived - its lifespan is only that of the duration of your Pipeline’s execution.

This args parameter makes the Node container (temporarily) accessible through port 3000. The significance of this is explained in the jenkins/scripts/deliver.sh file of your cloned repository, and is covered in a subsequent section of this tutorial.

Defines a stage (directive) called Build that appears on the Jenkins UI.

This sh step (of the steps section) executes the npm command to ensure that all dependencies required to run your application have been downloaded to the node_modules workspace directory (within the /var/jenkins_home/workspace/simple-node-js-react-npm-app directory in the Jenkins container).

another example

pipeline {
    agent {
        docker {
            image 'node:10.0.0'
            args '-u root'
        }
    }
    environment { 
        CI = 'true'
    }
  stages {
          stage('chekout'){
              steps {
             git 'https://github.com/tkssharma/tkssharma-Profile-Create-React-App'
            }
          }
          stage('install') {
          steps {
              sh 'npm install'
            }
          }
          stage('build') {
          steps {
             sh 'npm run build'
           }
          }
          stage('test') {
          steps {
                echo "Testing my application"
          }
     
}
}

1. Save your edited Jenkinsfile and commit it to your local simple-node-js-react-npm-app Git repository. E.g. Within thesimple-node-js-react-npm-app directory, run the commands: git add . then git commit -m "Add initial Jenkinsfile"

2. Go back to Jenkins again, log in again if necessary and click Open Blue Ocean on the left to access Jenkins’s Blue Ocean interface.

3. In the This job has not been run message box, click Run, then quickly click the OPEN link which appears briefly at the lower-right to see Jenkins building your Pipeline project. If you weren’t able to click the OPEN link, click the row on the main Blue Ocean interface to access this feature. Note: You may need to wait several minutes for this first run to complete. After making a clone of your local simple-node-js-react-npm-app Git repository itself, Jenkins:

   1. Initially queues the project to be run on the agent.

   2. Downloads the Node Docker image and runs it in a container on Docker.

   3. Runs the Build stage (defined in the Jenkinsfile) on the Node container. During this time, npm downloads many dependencies necessary to run your Node.js and React application, which will ultimately be stored in the node_modulesworkspace directory (within the Jenkins home directory).

   The Blue Ocean interface turns green if Jenkins built your Node.js and React application successfully.

4. Click the X at the top-right to return to the main Blue Ocean interface.

Add a test stage to your Pipeline

1. Go back to your text editor/IDE and ensure your Jenkinsfile is open.

2. Copy and paste the following Declarative Pipeline syntax immediately under the agent section of your Jenkinsfile:

       environment {
           CI = 'true'
       }

   as well as the following immediately under the Build stage:

           stage('Test') {
               steps {
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/test.sh'
               }
           }

   so that you end up with:

   pipeline {
       agent {
           docker {
               image 'node:6-alpine'
               args '-p 3000:3000'
           }
       }
       environment {
           CI = 'true' 
       }
       stages {
           stage('Build') {
               steps {
                   sh 'npm install'
               }
           }
           stage('Test') { 
               steps {
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/test.sh' 
               }
           }
       }
   }

   	The environment directive sets the environment variable CI with a boolean value of true, which is available to all steps in this Pipeline. When the npm test command in test.sh (which is run during the Test stage defined further down the Pipeline) detects the environment variable CI with a value of true, then this command is run in "non-watch" (i.e. non-interactive) mode. In "watch" mode, npm test expects user input, which can pause running builds of CI/CD applications indefinitely. As an alternative to specifying the environment directive in a Jenkins Pipeline, you could also specify this environment variable in the package.json file (to pass on to the npm test command) by: Uncommenting the npm install --save-dev cross-env command in jenkins/scripts/test.sh (to install the cross-env dependency during the Test stage). Read more about this in the test.sh file itself. Updating the following line in the package.json file (at the root of the simple-node-js-react-npm-app repository) from: "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom", to "test": "cross-env CI=true react-scripts test --env=jsdom",
   	Defines a stage (directive) called Test that appears on the Jenkins UI.
   	This sh step (of the steps section) runs the shell script test.sh located in the jenkins/scripts directory from the root of the simple-node-js-react-npm-app repository. Explanations about what this script does are covered in the test.sh file itself. As a general principle, it’s a good idea to keep your Pipeline code (i.e. the Jenkinsfile) as tidy as possible and place more complex build scripting steps into separate shell script files like the test.sh file. This ultimately facilitates the maintenance of your Pipeline, especially if it gains more complexity.

3. Save your edited Jenkinsfile and commit it to your local simple-node-js-react-npm-app Git repository. E.g. Within thesimple-node-js-react-npm-app directory, run the commands: git stage . then git commit -m "Add 'Test' stage"

4. Go back to Jenkins again, log in again if necessary and ensure you’ve accessed Jenkins’s Blue Ocean interface.

5. Click Run at the top left, then quickly click the OPEN link which appears briefly at the lower-right to see Jenkins running your amended Pipeline project. If you weren’t able to click the OPEN link, click the top row on the Blue Ocean interface to access this feature. Note: You’ll notice from this run that Jenkins no longer needs to download the Node Docker image. Instead, Jenkins only needs to run a new container from the Node image downloaded previously. Also, from now on, no (new) npm dependencies should need to be downloaded during the "Build" stage. Therefore, running your Pipeline this subsequent time should be much faster. If your amended Pipeline ran successfully, here’s what the Blue Ocean interface should look like. Notice the additional "Test" stage. You can click on the previous "Build" stage circle to access the output from that stage.

   
6. Click the X at the top-right to return to the main Blue Ocean interface.

Add a final deliver stage to your Pipeline

1. Go back to your text editor/IDE and ensure your Jenkinsfile is open.

2. Copy and paste the following Declarative Pipeline syntax immediately under the Test stage of your Jenkinsfile:

           stage('Deliver') {
               steps {
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/deliver.sh'
                   input message: 'Finished using the web site? (Click "Proceed" to continue)'
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/kill.sh'
               }
           }

   so that you end up with:

   pipeline {
       agent {
           docker {
               image 'node:6-alpine'
               args '-p 3000:3000'
           }
       }
       environment { 
           CI = 'true'
       }
       stages {
           stage('Build') {
               steps {
                   sh 'npm install'
               }
           }
           stage('Test') {
               steps {
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/test.sh'
               }
           }
           stage('Deliver') { 
               steps {
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/deliver.sh' 
                   input message: 'Finished using the web site? (Click "Proceed" to continue)' 
                   sh './jenkins/scripts/kill.sh' 
               }
           }
       }
   }

   	This environment directive might not be present in your Pipeline if you chose to specify the CI environment variable in the package.json file above.
   	Defines a new stage called Deliver that appears on the Jenkins UI.
   	This sh step (of the steps section) runs the shell script deliver.sh located in the jenkins/scripts directory from the root of the simple-node-js-react-npm-app repository. Explanations about what this script does are covered in the deliver.sh file itself.
   	This input step (provided by the Pipeline: Input Step plugin) pauses the running build and prompts the user (with a custom message) to proceed or abort.
   	This sh step runs the shell script kill.sh, also located in the jenkins/scripts directory. Explanations about what this script does are covered in the kill.sh file itself.

3. Save your edited Jenkinsfile and commit it to your local simple-node-js-react-npm-app Git repository. E.g. Within thesimple-node-js-react-npm-app directory, run the commands: git stage . then git commit -m "Add 'Deliver' stage"

4. Go back to Jenkins again, log in again if necessary and ensure you’ve accessed Jenkins’s Blue Ocean interface.

5. Click Run at the top left, then quickly click the OPEN link which appears briefly at the lower-right to see Jenkins running your amended Pipeline project. If you weren’t able to click the OPEN link, click the top row on the Blue Ocean interface to access this feature. If your amended Pipeline ran successfully, here’s what the Blue Ocean interface should look like. Notice the additional "Deliver" stage. Click on the previous "Test" and "Build" stage circles to access the outputs from those stages.

   
6. Ensure you are viewing the "Deliver" stage (click it if necessary), then click the green ./jenkins/scripts/deliver.sh step to expand its content and scroll down until you see the http://localhost:3000 link.

   
7. Click the http://localhost:3000 link to view your Node.js and React application running (in development mode) in a new web browser tab. You should see a page/site with the title Welcome to React on it. Tip: If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can try accessing the terminal/command prompt of your Jenkins Docker container, then using vi editor, tweak and save the App.js source file and see the results appear on the Welcome to React page. To do this, run the following commands:

   docker exec -it <docker-container-name> bash 
   cd /var/jenkins_home/workspace/simple-node-js-react-npm-app/src 
   vi App.js 

   	This command provides access to the terminal/command prompt of your Jenkins Docker container. The <docker-container-name> can be obtained using the command docker ps. Otherwise, it would be jenkins-tutorials (if you specified this in the command you used to run this container above - i.e. --name jenkins-tutorials).
   	Once in the container, change directory to the Node.js and React source directory (in the Jenkins workspace directory within Jenkins home).
   	Access, edit and save changes to your application’s App.js file using vi editor.

8. When you are finished viewing the page/site, click the Proceed button to complete the Pipeline’s execution.

   
9. Click the X at the top-right to return to the main Blue Ocean interface, which lists your previous Pipeline runs in reverse chronological order.

   

Wrapping up

Well done! You’ve just used Jenkins to build a simple Node.js and React application with npm

The "Build", "Test" and "Deliver" stages you created above are the basis for building more complex Node.js and React applications in Jenkins, as well as Node.js and React applications that integrate with other technology stacks.

Because Jenkins is extremely extensible, it can be modified and configured to handle practically any aspect of build orchestration and automation.