How to use trigger directive in a declarative pipeline?

[Idan Adar]

It sounds obvious from reading the docs, but...

In a multi-branch pipeline there is no UI in Jenkins for defining a schedule to decide when should the job run automatically.

It seems that the following should do so, I don't understand how, given the file has to be read first after a checkout... but anyway...

I added the following triggers directive:

stages
    triggers {
        cron('H 4/* 0 0 1-5')
    }


    stage ("...") {
    ...
    }
}

But once running the job with this directive, it fails with the following:

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Could not instantiate {properties=[org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.job.properties.DisableConcurrentBuildsJobProperty@1523de8c, @pipelineTriggers(<anonymous>=[@cron(<anonymous>=0 12,16,20 0 0 0)])]} for JobPropertyStep
...
...

[Idan Adar]

FYI, The log is from my actual pipeline. The code snippet is just usage example.

[Idan Adar]

oops... disregard the snippet, it was wrong (but the failure is there anyway).

The following is the cron used.

I am attempting to run the job at 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00 on Sunday-Thursday... (every week, every month, every year).

triggers {
   cron '0 12,16,20 * * 1-4,7 *'
}

The error is the following. Why?

Caused by: antlr.ANTLRException: Invalid input: "0 12,16,20 * * 1-4,7 *": line 1:21: expecting EOF, found ' '

The documentation states that  "The Unix cron style syntax is supported."

I thus used the following as reference: http://www.nncron.ru/help/EN/working/cron-format.htm

[Idan Adar]

Okay, I tried various variations, this one works: 0 12,16,20 * * 1-4,7

Meaning: "At minute 0 past hour 12, 16, and 20 on every day-of-week from Monday through Thursday and Sunday."

Could someone now explain to me how this is supposed to work in Jenkins? How will Jenkins know when to actually run it _automatically_? i.e. schedule the job to run at the specified hours?

[Mark Waite]

That same exception is reported when you enter that cron specification into the "Poll SCM" field of a freestyle job.

I think the issue is that you have six fields in your cron specification, while the online help indicates it only accepts 5 fields.

I think you want 'H 12,16,20 * * 1-4,7' or if you really want it at the start of the hour rather than at some time during the hour, then '0 12,16,20 * * 1-4,7'.

Mark Waite

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[Idan Adar]

Yep, thanks. In my last update I did the same cron as you.

Do you happen to know how does the triggers directive actually works with a declarative pipeline (Jenkinsfile)? how does it tell Jenkins to actually start the job at the specified hours?

[Mark Waite]

No, I don't.

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[Idan Adar]

Okay, I guess that after the first time the Jenkinsfile is read Jenkins must have saved this info somewhere as when looking at the job in Jenkins there is a "View Configuration" button and there you can see the specified schedule. sigh. I wish that'd be documented...

[Mark Waite]

I think the best thing you could do for the community is document it.  Find a reasonable place in the Jenkins Handbook, and submit a pull request with your information.  That will help others use what you've learned.

Mark Waite

On Fri, Apr 7, 2017 at 8:27 AM Idan Adar <id...@adar.me> wrote:

Okay, I guess that after the first time the Jenkinsfile is read Jenkins must have saved this info somewhere as when looking at the job in Jenkins there is a "View Configuration" button and there you can see the specified schedule. sigh. I wish that'd be documented...

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[Idan Adar]

The thought crossed my mind. Will do just that.