Parameterized builds in Jenkins - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Parameterized Builds in Jenkins

📖 Scenario: You are a DevOps engineer setting up a Jenkins job that can build different versions of a software project based on user input. This helps your team quickly test or deploy specific versions without changing the job configuration each time.

🎯 Goal: Create a Jenkins pipeline script that accepts a parameter for the software version, uses it in the build steps, and prints the selected version.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a string parameter called VERSION with default value 1.0

Use the VERSION parameter in a shell build step

Print the selected VERSION value at the end

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Parameterized builds let teams run the same Jenkins job with different inputs, saving time and reducing errors.

💼 Career

Knowing how to create and use parameters in Jenkins pipelines is a key skill for DevOps engineers and automation specialists.

1

Define the Jenkins pipeline with a VERSION parameter

Create a Jenkins pipeline script that defines a string parameter called VERSION with the default value 1.0. Use the parameters block to do this.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    parameters {
        // Define the VERSION parameter here
    }
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                // Your code here
            }
        }
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use the parameters block inside the pipeline and add a string parameter with the name VERSION.

2

Add a shell step that uses the VERSION parameter

Inside the Build stage's steps block, add a shell command that echoes Building version: ${VERSION} using the Jenkins parameter VERSION.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    parameters {
        string(name: 'VERSION', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Software version to build')
    }
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                // Add shell command to echo the VERSION parameter
            }
        }
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use the sh step with a command that prints the VERSION parameter value.

3

Add a stage to print the selected VERSION

Add a new stage called Print Version after the Build stage. Inside its steps block, add a shell command that prints Selected version is: ${VERSION}.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    parameters {
        string(name: 'VERSION', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Software version to build')
    }
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Building version: ${VERSION}'
            }
        }
        // Add the Print Version stage here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Add a new stage block with the name Print Version and inside it add a sh step to print the version.

4

Run the pipeline and verify the output

Run the Jenkins pipeline script. The output should include the lines Building version: 1.0 and Selected version is: 1.0 when using the default parameter.

Jenkins

pipeline {
    agent any
    parameters {
        string(name: 'VERSION', defaultValue: '1.0', description: 'Software version to build')
    }
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Building version: ${VERSION}'
            }
        }
        stage('Print Version') {
            steps {
                sh 'echo Selected version is: ${VERSION}'
            }
        }
    }
}

// Run the pipeline and check output

Need a hint?

Run the pipeline with default parameters and check the console output for the expected lines.