Jenkins, a popular open-source automation server, is a powerful tool for automating various tasks in the software development and delivery process. One common use case is automating URL testing, and in this blog post, we’ll explore a Jenkins Pipeline script designed to iteratively test a series of web pages by incrementing page numbers in the URL until it encounters an HTTP 404 error.
Table of Contents
High-Level Purpose
The purpose of the provided Jenkins Pipeline script is to automate URL testing by iteratively checking a series of web pages identified by incrementing page numbers in the URL. The script continues this process until it encounters an HTTP 404 error, at which point it gracefully exits. The primary goal is to ensure that the build does not fail due to HTTP 404 errors while providing visibility into other unknown issues through appropriate logging.
Understanding Jenkins and Jenkins Pipeline
Jenkins
Jenkins is an open-source automation server that enables teams to automate various aspects of the software development lifecycle. It supports building, testing, and deploying code and provides a wide range of plugins for extensibility.
Jenkins Pipeline
Jenkins Pipeline is a suite of plugins that allows you to define the entire build process as code. It provides a way to describe complex build and deployment processes using a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) based on Groovy. Jenkins Pipelines offer greater flexibility and reusability compared to traditional freestyle projects.
The Process
1. Setting Up the Base URL
The script begins by defining a base URL, which is the common part of the URLs to be tested. In this example, it’s “https://anto.online/page/.”
2. Iterating Through Pages
A while loop is used to iterate through the pages. The page number is incremented in each iteration, creating the URL to be tested.
3. Sending HTTP Requests
Inside the loop, the script uses the httpRequest step to send HTTP requests to the generated URL and retrieve the HTTP response status code.
4. Handling Responses
- If the response status code is 404 (HTTP Not Found), the script gracefully handles it and breaks out of the loop.
- For any other response code, the script logs the issue as an unknown response and continues to the next page.
5. Final Build Result
The script does not fail the build based on HTTP 404 errors. The build result is set to ‘SUCCESS’ if no HTTP 404 errors are encountered. For other issues, the build result is set to ‘FAILURE.’
The Jenkins Pipeline Script
def baseUrl = "https://anto.online/page/"
def pageNumber = 1
def isBuildSuccessful = true
while (true) {
def siteUrl = "${baseUrl}${pageNumber}/"
try {
def httpResponse = httpRequest(url: siteUrl)
def statusCode = httpResponse.status
if (statusCode == 404) {
println("Received a 404 response at $siteUrl")
break
} else {
// Handle unknown responses.
println("Received an unknown response at $siteUrl")
}
} catch (Exception e) {
// Handle other exceptions.
println("An error occurred while accessing $siteUrl: ${e.getMessage()}")
currentBuild.result = 'FAILURE'
isBuildSuccessful = false
break
}
// Increment the page number for the next iteration.
pageNumber++
}
if (isBuildSuccessful) {
currentBuild.result = 'SUCCESS'
}This script encapsulates the automated URL testing process in a Jenkins Pipeline, ensuring that the build does not fail due to HTTP 404 errors and providing appropriate logging for unknown issues.
Wrapping Up
Automating URL testing in a Jenkins Pipeline script is a valuable practice to ensure the health and reliability of web resources in your projects. This script, by gracefully handling HTTP 404 errors, contributes to a more robust and automated testing process within the Jenkins ecosystem. Jenkins, together with Jenkins Pipelines, provides a powerful platform for automating a wide range of tasks in a structured and maintainable manner.
