This document discusses automating Salesforce development workflows using Jenkins and Git. It provides an overview of Jenkins and the Force.com Migration Tool for versioning Salesforce metadata. The document proposes using these tools to improve upon manual folder backups by allowing for collaboration, change logging, and automation. It then demonstrates a sample nightly Jenkins job that checks out metadata from Git, downloads the latest from Salesforce using the Migration Tool, and commits the changes back to the Git repository. Code reviews can then be facilitated through the online Git hosting.

1. Fun
with
“Jenkins & Salesforce”

2. Who I am ?
● Abhinav Gupta
● Salesforce MVP & Architect.
● In love with Salesforce since
2008.
● Founder of Concretio Apps,
ISV and PDO Partner.
● t: @abhinavguptas

3. Agenda
Credits : http://www.jimcarreyonline.com/

4. Agenda - Real :-)
1. Overview of Jenkins & Force.com Migration
Tool.
2. Code versioning practices.
3. How could we improve ?
4. Automating the same via Jenkins

5. What is Jenkins
Credits: https://www.cloudbees.com/jenkins/about

6. Force.com Migration Tool
Credits: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.daas.meta/daas/

7. Code Versioning
Practices
How mostly devs do

8. Manual Folder Backups
- Folder is created out
of Force.com IDE
downloads
- Date is added to
timestamp along with
client name

9. What’s the problem in it ?
- It sucks :(
- Not backed up on server/cloud/hosting
- No way for multiple devs to collaborate
- No easy way to figure out change log.
- It’s depressing and scares me a lot, really :-/

10. How it could be better ?
● Use Force.com Migration Tool
○ It will simplify metadata download
○ Mostly one line command, after build.xml setup
○ Requires least coding knowledge, mostly a simple
xml editing skill is required.
● Use GIT
○ Many git hostings i.e. github, bitbucket etc are
available
○ Can work well with Force.com migration tool.

11. Even Better World ?
● Use Jenkins !
○ Its free and open source
○ Openshift and other providers offer Free hostings.
○ It can work well with Force.com migration tool
○ It works like charm with GIT
○ Automate simple nightly code backups.
○ Once comfortable, use it like PRO, and do multi
org/sandbox strategy with your clients.

12. Live Demo
● A Simple nightly code back Job on Jenkins
● Auto checkout of required metadata
● Auto commit+push into GIT (bitbucket
private repo)
● Hosted for free on https://www.openshift.
com/

13. Jenkins Job
Overview
A simple job for metadata backup in GIT

14. Jenkins Job Overview
Runs periodically at 3 AM India Time, when
even most messed up developer is slept

15. Masked Passwords Plugin
Passwords are no more visible after entry, not even in
console (ssh could be even better for GIT)
Jenkins Plugin: https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Mask+Passwords+Plugin

16. Clone Project GIT repo
Clone repo if it’s not already done

17. Create build.xml on the fly
We don’t want to version build.xml, and want it
easy to tweak, thus generate on the fly
Jenkins Plugin: https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Text+File+Operations+Plugin

18. Create package.xml on the fly
We don’t want to version package.xml, and want it easy to
tweak, thus generate on the fly
(Add more metadata types(triggers, objects, etc) to package.xml, it’s kept simple for quick downloads)
Jenkins Plugin: https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/Text+File+Operations+Plugin

19. Fetch Salesforce metadata
Use
Force.com Migration
Tool (ANT)
to fetch required
Salesforce metadata
(as per package.xml)

20. Push into GIT
Push fetched Metadata into GIT.
Git ANT tasks could be used here to do the same.

21. Code reviews
Once code is in bitbucket or github
online repo, peer/architect code
reviews can be conducted on
commits.
It’s quite easy to point out a single
line of code having issue, and
describe what is needed (way
better than word docs, or excel
spreadsheets).

22. Q & A
Thanks
Abhinav Gupta
t: @abhinavguptas