NodeJS application

You can build and test a Node.js application using a Linux platform on Harness Cloud or a self-hosted Kubernetes cluster build infrastructure.

This guide assumes you've created a Harness CI pipeline. For more information about creating pipelines, go to:

• CI pipeline creation overview
• Harness Cloud pipeline tutorial
• Kubernetes cluster pipeline tutorial

tip

If you don't have a Harness account yet, you can create one for free at app.harness.io.

Install dependencies

Use Run step to install dependencies in the build environment.

Harness Cloud

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  identifier: dependencies
                  name: Dependencies
                  spec:
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm install express@4.18.2 --no-save

Self-hosted

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  identifier: dependencies
                  name: Dependencies
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: account.harnessImage
                    image: node:14.18.2-alpine
                    command: |-
                      npm install express@14.18.2 --no-save

tip

In addition to Run steps, Plugin steps are also useful for installing dependencies.

You can use Background steps to run dependent services that are needed by multiple steps in the same stage.

Cache dependencies

Harness Cloud

Cache Node dependencies with Cache Intelligence. Add caching.enabled.true to your stage.spec.

    - stage:
        spec:
          caching:
            enabled: true

Self-hosted

With self-hosted build infrastructures, you can:

• Save and Restore Cache from S3
• Save and Restore Cache from GCS

Node cache key and path requirements

All Node pipelines must include node_modules in the sourcePaths for your Save Cache step.

                  spec:
                    sourcePaths:
                      - node_modules

If your pipeline uses npm, the key value must reference package-lock.json in your Save Cache and Restore Cache steps.

                  spec:
                    key: cache-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}

If your pipeline uses yarn, the key value must reference yarn.lock in your Save Cache and Restore Cache steps.

                  spec:
                    key: cache-{{ checksum "yarn.lock" }}

YAML example: Save and restore cache steps

Here's an example of a pipeline with Save Cache to S3 and Restore Cache from S3 steps.

            steps:
              - step:
                  type: RestoreCacheS3
                  name: Restore Cache From S3
                  identifier: Restore_Cache_From_S3
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: AWS_Connector
                    region: us-east-1
                    bucket: your-s3-bucket
                    key: cache-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
                    archiveFormat: Tar
              - step:
                  type: Run
                  ...
              - step:
                  type: BuildAndPushDockerRegistry
                  ...
              - step:
                  type: SaveCacheS3
                  name: Save Cache to S3
                  identifier: Save_Cache_to_S3
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: AWS_Connector
                    region: us-east-1
                    bucket: your-s3-bucket
                    key: cache-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
                    sourcePaths:
                      - node_modules
                    archiveFormat: Tar

Build and run tests

Add Run steps to build and run tests in Harness CI.

Harness Cloud

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: npm test
                  identifier: npm_test
                  spec:
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm install
                      npm run build --if-present
                      npm test
                    reports:
                      type: JUnit
                      spec:
                        paths:
                          - report.xml

Self-hosted

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: npm test
                  identifier: npm test
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: account.harnessImage
                    image: node:latest
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm install
                      npm run build --if-present
                      npm test
                    reports:
                      type: JUnit
                      spec:
                        paths:
                          - report.xml

Visualize test results

If you want to view test results in Harness, make sure your test commands produce reports in JUnit XML format and that your steps include the reports specification.

                    reports:
                      type: JUnit
                      spec:
                        paths:
                          - report.xml

Specify version

Harness Cloud

Node is pre-installed on Hosted Cloud runners. For details about all available tools and versions, go to Platforms and image specifications.

If your application requires a specific Node version, add a Run step to install it.

Install one Node version

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: Install Node
                  identifier: installnode
                  spec:
                    shell: Sh
                    envVariables:
                      NODE_VERSION: 18.16.0
                    command: |-
                      mkdir $HOME/nodejs
                      curl -L https://nodejs.org/dist/v${NODE_VERSION}/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64.tar.xz | tar xJ -C $HOME/nodejs
                      export PATH=$HOME/nodejs/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64/bin:$PATH

Install multiple Node versions

1. Add the matrix looping strategy configuration to your stage.

    - stage:
        strategy:
          matrix:
            nodeVersion:
              - 18.16.0
              - 20.2.0

2. Reference the matrix variable in your steps.

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: Install node
                  identifier: installnode
                  spec:
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      mkdir $HOME/nodejs
                      curl -L https://nodejs.org/dist/v${NODE_VERSION}/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64.tar.xz | tar xJ -C $HOME/nodejs
                      export PATH=$HOME/nodejs/node-v${NODE_VERSION}-linux-x64/bin:$PATH
                    envVariables:
                      NODE_VERSION: <+matrix.nodeVersion>

Self-hosted

Specify the desired Node Docker image tag in your steps. There is no need for a separate install step when using Docker.

Use a specific Node version

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: Node Version
                  identifier: nodeversion
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: account.harnessImage
                    image: node:18.16.0
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm version

Use multiple node versions

1. Add the matrix looping strategy configuration to your stage.

    - stage:
        strategy:
          matrix:
            nodeVersion:
              - 18.16.0
              - 20.2.0

2. Reference the matrix variable in the image field of your steps.

              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: Node Version
                  identifier: nodeversion
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: account.harnessImage
                    image: node:<+matrix.nodeVersion>
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm version

Full pipeline examples

Here's a YAML example of a pipeline that:

1. Tests a Node code repo.
2. Builds and pushes an image to Docker Hub.

This pipeline uses Harness Cloud build infrastructure and Cache Intelligence.

If you copy this example, replace the placeholder values with appropriate values for your Harness project, connector IDs, account/user names, and repo names.

Pipeline YAML

pipeline:
  name: nodejs-sample
  identifier: nodejssample
  projectIdentifier: default
  orgIdentifier: default
  tags: {}
  stages:
    - stage:
        name: Build Node App
        identifier: Build_Node_App
        description: ""
        type: CI
        spec:
          cloneCodebase: true
          caching:
            enabled: true
          platform:
            os: Linux
            arch: Amd64
          runtime:
            type: Cloud
            spec: {}
          execution:
            steps:
              - step:
                  type: Run
                  name: npm test
                  identifier: npm_test
                  spec:
                    shell: Sh
                    command: |-
                      npm install
                      npm run build --if-present
                      npm test
              - step:
                  type: BuildAndPushDockerRegistry
                  name: BuildAndPushDockerRegistry_1
                  identifier: BuildAndPushDockerRegistry_1
                  spec:
                    connectorRef: YOUR_DOCKER_CONNECTOR_ID
                    repo: YOUR_DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME/DOCKER_REPO_NAME
                    tags:
                      - <+pipeline.sequenceId>
  properties:
    ci:
      codebase:
        connectorRef: YOUR_CODE_REPO_CONNECTOR_ID
        repoName: YOUR_REPO_NAME
        build: <+input>

Next steps

Now that you have created a pipeline that builds and tests a Node app, you could:

• Create triggers to automatically run your pipeline.
• Add steps to build and upload artifacts.
• Add a step to build and push an image to a Docker registry.
• Explore other ways to optimize and enhance CI pipelines.