Jenkinsfile vs. Jenkins Pipeline

Jenkinsfile and Jenkins Pipeline are related concepts but have different meanings and purposes in the Jenkins ecosystem.

Jenkinsfile is a text file that defines the steps of a single Jenkins job. It is typically stored in a version control system like Git alongside the application’s source code. Jenkinsfile allows you to define the job as code, which means you can maintain, version, and review the job configuration and the application code. Jenkinsfile can be written in either declarative or scripted syntax.

On the other hand, Jenkins Pipeline is a plugin suite allowing you to create and manage continuous delivery pipelines in Jenkins. Pipeline provides a way to define a Jenkins job as a sequence of stages, each containing one or more steps. 

Various events, such as a code change, a timer, or a manual trigger, can trigger a Pipeline. The pipeline allows you to define complex workflows, including conditional branching, parallelization, and error handling. The definition of a Pipeline can be stored in a Jenkinsfile or defined directly in the Jenkins web UI.

Jenkinsfile:

A Jenkinsfile is a file written in an either declarative or scripted syntax that defines the steps of a single Jenkins job. The declarative syntax is a recent addition to Jenkins, offering a more concise and structured way of defining pipelines. The scripted syntax is more flexible and allows for greater customization. Jenkinsfiles are typically stored in a version control system (such as Git) alongside the application code being built, so changes to the pipeline can be tracked along with changes to the code.

Jenkins Pipeline:

Jenkins Pipeline is a suite of plugins that allows you to define and manage continuous delivery pipelines in Jenkins. A pipeline is a sequence of stages containing one or more steps. Various events, such as a code change, a timer, or a manual trigger, can trigger a Pipeline. You can define complex workflows in a Pipeline, including conditional branching, parallelization, and error handling. Pipeline also provides a visual representation of the pipeline, allowing you to see the status of each stage and step in real time.

Jenkins Pipeline can be defined in several ways:

• Jenkinsfile: You can define a Pipeline in a Jenkinsfile and store it in a version control system alongside your application code. This allows for easy versioning and collaboration on pipeline changes.
• Blue Ocean: Blue Ocean is a plugin for Jenkins that provides a modern, user-friendly interface for defining and managing Pipelines. With Blue Ocean, you can create, edit, and visualize Pipelines in a web-based interface.
• Classic UI: Using the classic Jenkins UI, you can also define a Pipeline. This is useful for quick and straightforward pipelines that don’t require much customization.

In summary, Jenkinsfile is a file that defines the steps of a single Jenkins job. At the same time, Jenkins Pipeline is a plugin suite allowing you to create and manage continuous delivery pipelines in Jenkins. Jenkins Pipeline can be defined using a Jenkinsfile, Blue Ocean, or the classic Jenkins UI.