XShell Plugin

Plugin Information

This plugin defines a new build type to execute a shell command in a cross-platform environment.

Description

Cross platform shell executor.

Using Hudson built-in "Execute Windows batch command" you can run commands using the windows shell.

Using Hudson built-in "Execute shell" you can run commands using unix shell.

If you need to run a job cross platform you cannot use the two standard executors provided by Hudson. You need a "build step" that can be executed both in Windows and in Unix.

This plugin does exactly this: it takes a command, as the two standard build steps do, and executes it calling the correct shell depending on the operating system running on the current job executor.

What it does...

• It runs any executable (with complete command line) available in the system from current working dir (command must be in Path or in job's workspace directory or subdirectory).
• Automatic conversion of file separator is done according to the executing operating system.

Constraints:

• the current working directory of the command execution is always the job's workspace root.
• ./ must not be included in command line (use the configuration switch provided to specify that command is in current working dir or subdir).

Examples:

php scripts/build.php

php scripts\build.php

... and what it does not!

Command translation problem

Description

It cannot translate any command! So you cannot write

rm -rf bin

because on windows rm command is not available.

Solution

You can wrap your commands in two scripts, one for windows and one for unix, each one calling the right command for the operating system:

rm -rf bin

del /F /S bin

and then call clean using an XShell build step.
This will execute clean in unix and clean.bat in windows.

Variable expansion problem

Description

Translate variable expansion syntax in the command line provided to the plugin. So you want to write something like this:

myscript $JOBPARAM1

or

myscript %JOBPARAM1%

This won't work because each of this command will only work in one OS, not in both.

Solution

You can wrap your commands in two scripts, one for windows and one for unix, each one calling the right command for the operating system:

myscript $JOBPARAM1

myscript %JOBPARAM1%

and then call script-wrapper using an XShell build step.
This will execute script-wrapper in unix and script-wrapper.bat in windows.

Notes

• in windows you can call clean and get clean.bat called, in unix you can't (so the solutions above work);
• in unix you have to specify if the command is in the current working dir (and if it is not available it will not be searched in PATH), in windows you haven't to.

Build step configuration

To add a XShell build step

• click on the Add build step button and choose Invoke XShell script;
• fill in the command line text;
• choose if the executable is in global Path or in workspace.

TODO

• Allow execution from a custom working dir (different from workspace dir)
• Run executable from workspace directory (in unix must be written using ./ form). DONE in 0.2
• Replace any '\' or '/' in the command line with File.separator
• Set environment variables... (see comments)

Version history

0.5 (Development)

0.4 (09/22/2010)

• Modified regex for path separator replacement that was causing an exception issue #7538
• Added build variables to environment variables (as in CommandInterpreter).

0.3 (05/18/2010)

• Replace any '\' or '/' in the command line with correct file separator (selected using OS where the task is executed).

0.2 (03/26/2010)

• Run executable from workspace directory also in unix.

0.1 (03/25/2010)

Initial release

• Runs a single command line