Jenkins Tutorial: Learn to Perform Automatic Continuous Integration!

Meet Jenkins, not your typical task scheduler. It is a popular automation tool, standing strong against all the odds. Despite the heated competition to win developers' favors, Jenkins stands strong and dominates the continuous integration servers. In this Jenkins tutorial, I will show you how to install the Jenkins CI server on the Google Cloud Platform. I will also provide real-life examples of continuous integration with Jenkins to show you the advantages of using Jenkins for project management. 

Jenkins solves the fragmented development problem!

Developers understand that dreadful feeling when it is necessary to work with separate teams to produce a product. While the division of tasks seems natural, it is aggravating when changes from another team influence code functionality unexpectedly. In the past, teams would even get together to try to integrate changes and guarantee that a simple change won't lead to deadly aftermath to the way a website or another product operates. Therefore, learning how to use Jenkins helps developers test their code continuously and determine its state. 

Introduction to continuous integration with Jenkins

In this Jenkins tutorial, we will be talking a lot about continuous integration (CI). In short, CI refers to the removal of inefficiencies that occur when several teams or people develop the same project. How? Well, CI implements such techniques as letting developers compile the team's code from a shared version control repository. Additionally, CI tools offer task automation, especially when it comes to automatic code testing. By keeping track and testing each commit, developers can quickly manage errors and warnings that might occur. 

Continuous integration with Jenkins is achieved through the use of chain-like automated tasks that monitor the stability of your code. In this Jenkins tutorial, you will see the steps that continuous integration does. The basic workflow can be explained like this: 

• A developer makes a commit. 
• After every commit, the code is built and tested. 
• If the test runs smoothly, the build moves to the deployment phase. 
• If the deployment test is also successful, the code reaches production. 

Therefore, after learning how to use Jenkins, you will set automatic tests every time a new commit is done on Github or another version control service. 

What will you find in this Jenkins CI tutorial? 

This Jenkins tutorial is packed with lessons for beginners. However, old-time fans of Jenkins might also find some new tricks that they could incorporate into their CI. I will start from the very basics: installation and configuration of Jenkins. Once you get a little bit more comfortable with Jenkins, we will give it its first job. From this point forward, the lessons discuss various topics, such as setting triggers, Git integration, pipeline view, and other crucial features. Long story short, this Jenkins tutorial will cover all the essentials you need!

As a bonus to this Jenkins CI tutorial, I will provide you with common questions that you might be asked about Jenkins. If you apply for a job that requires Jenkins skills, you might need to show your expertise. Therefore, I hope to prepare you for those uncomfortable situations when your knowledge is put to the test!