Jenkins-Ci (Continuous Integration) is a powerful tool that enables developers to automate software delivery processes like continuous integration, testing, and deployment. In this tutorial, we will discuss how to use Flake8 in Jenkins-Ci, offering a deep dive into the features and benefits of integrating Flake8 into Jenkins-Ci pipelines. We will also discuss the setup process, running Flake8 test suites, integrating the reports, and give best practices for avoiding troubleshooting pitfalls. Let’s get started.
What is Jenkins-Ci?
Jenkins-Ci (Continuous Integration) is a software delivery process adopted by a majority of development teams today. It automatically detects and builds any changes made to your application’s code in real-time, tests the changes, and then deploys them and keeps track of the quality of the code. All of this happens without any manual intervention, thus removing tedious manual processes from the development cycle. The pipeline also allows for quick feedback on errors, ensuring that issues are corrected in the shortest possible time frame.
Jenkins-Ci is a powerful tool that can be used to automate the entire software development process. It can be used to automate the build, test, and deployment of applications, as well as to monitor the performance of the application. Additionally, Jenkins-Ci can be used to integrate with other tools such as version control systems, issue tracking systems, and code review systems, allowing for a more streamlined development process.
Benefits of Using Flake8 in Jenkins-Ci
Flake8 is a linter for the Python language, meaning it checks the code for any syntax errors and offers helpful suggestions to ensure quality and readability. Therefore, when used with Jenkins-Ci, you get timely reports of all errors so you can quickly fix them, freeing up resources and saving valuable time.
By running very basic commands such as “flake8” or “run_flake8”, Flake8 can quickly detect all errors and output them in an easy to read format. This allows you to rapidly identify code bugs and coding stylistic preferences. In addition, it’s easy enough to customize Flake8 to suit your project’s specific coding requirements.
Flake8 is also highly configurable, allowing you to set up custom rules and thresholds for your project. This means you can easily tailor the linter to your own coding style and preferences, ensuring that your code is always up to standard. Furthermore, Flake8 is open source, meaning it is free to use and can be easily integrated into your Jenkins-Ci pipeline.
Setting Up Flake8 in Jenkins-Ci
The next step is to set up Flake8 in Jenkins-Ci. To do this, you’ll need to log into your Jenkins-Ci account, then click on “Manage Jenkins” from the left-hand menu. From there, select “Manage Plugins” followed by “Available”. Then search for and install the Flake8 plugin.
Once you’ve installed the plugin, go back to the main project page and select “Configure” from the left-hand menu. Scroll down to the “Build Environment” section and select “Flake8 – Custom” from the dropdown menu. This will add the necessary Flake8 configuration to your project.
Once you have configured Flake8, you can run it on your project by selecting “Build Now” from the left-hand menu. This will run Flake8 on your project and display the results in the console output. You can also view the results in the Flake8 report, which can be accessed from the project page.
Practical Examples for Integrating Flake8 in Jenkins CI:
Installing Flake8 Plugin:
After you’ve logged into your Jenkins dashboard:
Navigate to: Jenkins > Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins > Available
Search for “Flake8”
Click “Install without restart”Configuring Flake8 in Jenkins Pipeline:
A basic Jenkins pipeline script (Jenkinsfile) integrating Flake8 would look something like this:
pipeline {
agent any
stages {
stage('Checkout') {
steps {
// Get the code from the version control system.
checkout scm
}
}
stage('Flake8 Lint') {
steps {
// Run flake8 against your codebase
sh 'flake8 .'
}
}
}
}
Customizing Flake8 Rules in Jenkins:
You can specify Flake8 arguments to adjust its behavior or the subset of checks you want. For instance, to ignore E501 (line too long) errors, you’d modify the Jenkinsfile:
sh 'flake8 . --ignore=E501'
Flake8 Report Integration:
You can also produce a report that Jenkins can display:
sh 'flake8 . --output-file=flake8-report.txt'
Then, use the “Publish warnings” feature in Jenkins to display the contents of flake8-report.txt.
Running Flake8 Test Suites in Jenkins-Ci
Now that we’ve installed the Flake8 plugin and configured it in Jenkins-Ci, we can start running our test suites. To do this, click on “Build Now” from the left-hand menu. This will run a flake8 test suite over your codebase. The resulting report will vary depending on which version of Flake8 you are using but usually provides a list of errors and potential improvements.
It is important to note that the Flake8 plugin is not a substitute for manual code review. It is a helpful tool to identify potential issues, but it is not a replacement for a human review. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the Flake8 plugin is configured correctly to ensure that it is running the correct tests and providing accurate results.
Integrating Flake8 Reports with Jenkins-Ci
The final step of integrating Flake8 into Jenkins-Ci is to integrate its reports with Jenkins-Ci. To do this, you’ll need to add another plugin called “Performance Plugin”. This plugin allows you to publish your Flake8 report to the main dashboard so that anyone can view it. To do this, go back to the “Manage Plugins” section and search for and install “Performance Plugin”.
Once you’ve installed the plugin, go back to the main project page and select “Configure” from the left-hand menu. Scroll down to the “Build Environment” section and select “Performance – Flake 8 Custom” from the dropdown menu. This will allow you to configure the settings for publishing the report. When configured correctly, the report will appear on the project dashboard after each build.
It is important to note that the Performance Plugin is not the only way to publish Flake8 reports. You can also use other plugins such as the HTML Publisher Plugin to publish the report. Additionally, you can also manually publish the report by copying the report file to the project workspace and then linking to it from the project dashboard.
Troubleshooting Tips for Flake8 and Jenkins-Ci
Although setting up Flake8 to work with Jenkins-Ci is relatively straightforward, there can be some common issues that arise and can be hard to troubleshoot. Here are some tips for avoiding and resolving flake8 related issues:
- Ensure that all code being tested is written according to your project’s coding standards.
- Check that all dependencies are up to date before running the build.
- Double check that all configuration settings for the plugins are correct.
- Clear all queues before running a new build.
- If all else fails, try re-installing Jenkins-Ci or deleting all plugins associated with it and re-installing them.
It is also important to make sure that the Flake8 version you are using is compatible with the version of Jenkins-Ci you are running. If you are using an older version of Jenkins-Ci, you may need to upgrade to a newer version in order to use the latest version of Flake8.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have explored how to use Flake8 in Jenkins-Ci, discussing the benefits and setup process of adding it to your pipeline as well as troubleshooting tips and best practices. By adding Flake8 to your Jenkins-Ci pipeline, you can quickly identify errors in code and keep track of code quality. We hope this tutorial has been helpful for you.
It is important to remember that Flake8 is just one tool in the toolbox for ensuring code quality. There are many other tools available that can be used in combination with Flake8 to ensure that your code is of the highest quality. Additionally, it is important to regularly review your code and make sure that it is up to date with the latest standards and best practices.
by the Bito team. 
