How to Use bat Command in Jenkins Pipeline

In Jenkins Pipeline, use the bat step to run Windows batch commands or scripts. Wrap your command string inside bat('your-command') within a pipeline or node block to execute it on Windows agents.

Syntax

The bat step runs Windows batch commands in Jenkins Pipeline. It takes a string with the command to execute.

• bat('command'): Runs the specified batch command.
• Returns the command output as a string if assigned to a variable.
• Use inside pipeline or node blocks.

groovy

bat('your-command-here')

Example

This example shows a Jenkins Declarative Pipeline running a simple batch command to list files in the current directory on a Windows agent.

groovy

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Run bat command') {
            steps {
                bat('dir')
            }
        }
    }
}

Output

 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is XXXX-XXXX

 Directory of C:\path\to\workspace

01/01/2024  12:00 PM    <DIR>          .
01/01/2024  12:00 PM    <DIR>          ..
01/01/2024  12:00 PM               123 Jenkinsfile
               1 File(s)            123 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  100,000,000,000 bytes free

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using bat in Jenkins Pipeline include:

• Running bat on non-Windows agents causes errors because bat is Windows-specific.
• Not quoting commands properly can cause syntax errors.
• Expecting bat to return output without assigning it to a variable.

Always ensure your Jenkins agent is Windows when using bat.

groovy

pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Wrong usage') {
            steps {
                // This will fail on Linux agents
                bat('echo Hello World')
            }
        }
    }
}

// Correct usage with Windows agent:
pipeline {
    agent { label 'windows' }
    stages {
        stage('Correct usage') {
            steps {
                bat('echo Hello World')
            }
        }
    }
}

Quick Reference

Tips for using bat in Jenkins Pipeline:

• Use bat('command') to run Windows batch commands.
• Assign output: def output = bat(script: 'dir', returnStdout: true).
• Use Windows agents only.
• Quote commands properly to avoid syntax errors.

Key Takeaways

Use the bat step to run Windows batch commands in Jenkins Pipeline.

Always run bat on Windows agents to avoid errors.

Assign bat output to a variable with returnStdout: true if you need the command result.

Quote commands properly inside bat to prevent syntax issues.

Use bat inside pipeline or node blocks.