Can I create dynamically stages in a Jenkins pipeline?

Question

I need to launch a dynamic set of tests in a declarative pipeline. For better visualization purposes, I'd like to create a stage for each test. Is there a way to do so?

The only way to create a stage I know is:

stage('foo') {
   ...
}

I've seen this example, but I it does not use declarative syntax.

Answer 1

Use the scripted syntax that allows more flexibility than the declarative syntax, even though the declarative is more documented and recommended.

For example stages can be created in a loop:

def tests = params.Tests.split(',')
for (int i = 0; i < tests.length; i++) {
    stage("Test ${tests[i]}") {
        sh '....'
    }
}

Answer 2

You might want to take a look at this example - you can have a function return a closure which should be able to have a stage in it.

This code shows the concept, but doesn't have a stage in it.

def transformDeployBuildStep(OS) {
    return {
        node ('master') { 
        wrap([$class: 'TimestamperBuildWrapper']) {
...
        } } // ts / node
    } // closure
} // transformDeployBuildStep

stage("Yum Deploy") {
  stepsForParallel = [:]
  for (int i = 0; i < TargetOSs.size(); i++) {
      def s = TargetOSs.get(i)
      def stepName = "CentOS ${s} Deployment"
      stepsForParallel[stepName] = transformDeployBuildStep(s)
  }
  stepsForParallel['failFast'] = false
  parallel stepsForParallel
} // stage

Answer 3

@Jorge Machado: Because I cannot comment I had to post it as an answer. I've solved it recently. I hope it'll help you.

Declarative pipeline:

A simple static example:

stage('Dynamic') {
        steps {
            script {
                stage('NewOne') {

                        echo('new one echo')

                }
            }
        }
    }

Dynamic real-life example:

    // in a declarative pipeline
        stage('Trigger Building') {
              when {
                environment(name: 'DO_BUILD_PACKAGES', value: 'true')
              }
              steps {
                executeModuleScripts('build') // local method, see at the end of this script
              }
            }


    // at the end of the file or in a shared library
        void executeModuleScripts(String operation) {

          def allModules = ['module1', 'module2', 'module3', 'module4', 'module11']

          allModules.each { module ->  
          String action = "${operation}:${module}"  

          echo("---- ${action.toUpperCase()} ----")        
          String command = "npm run ${action} -ddd"                   

            // here is the trick           
            script {
              stage(module) {
                bat(command)
              }
            }
          }

}

Answer 4

I use this to generate my stages which contain a Jenkins job in them. build_list is a list of Jenkins jobs that i want to trigger from my main Jenkins job, but have a stage for each job that is trigger.

build_list = ['job1', 'job2', 'job3']
        for(int i=0; i < build_list.size(); i++) {
          stage(build_list[i]){
               build job: build_list[i], propagate: false
          }
        }

Answer 5

As JamesD suggested, you may create stages dynamically (but they will be sequential) like that:

def list
pipeline {
    agent none
    options {buildDiscarder(logRotator(daysToKeepStr: '7', numToKeepStr: '1'))}
    stages {
        stage('Create List') {
            agent {node 'nodename'}
            steps {
                script {
                    // you may create your list here, lets say reading from a file after checkout
                    list = ["Test-1", "Test-2", "Test-3", "Test-4", "Test-5"]
                }
            }
            post {
                cleanup {
                    cleanWs()
                }
            }
        }
        stage('Dynamic Stages') {
            agent {node 'nodename'}
            steps {
                script {
                    for(int i=0; i < list.size(); i++) {
                        stage(list[i]){
                            echo "Element: $i"
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            post {
                cleanup {
                    cleanWs()
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

That will result in: dynamic-sequential-stages