How to fix Pipeline-Script "Expected a step" error

Question

I am trying to run a simple pipeline-script in Jenkins with 2 stages. The script itself creates a textFile and checks if this one exists. But when i try to run the job I get an "Expected a step" error.

I have read somewhere that you cant have an if inside a step so that might be the problem but if so how can I check without using the if?

pipeline {     agent {label 'Test'}     stages {         stage('Write') {             steps {                 writeFile file: 'NewFile.txt', text:                  '''Sample HEADLINE'''                 println "New File created..."             }         }         stage('Check') {             steps {                         Boolean bool = fileExists 'NewFile.txt'                 if(bool) {                     println "The File exists :)"                 }                 else {                     println "The File does not exist :("                 }                         }         }     } } 

I expect the script to create a "NewFile.txt" in the agents workspace and print a text to the console confirming that it exists.

But I actually get two "Expected a step" errors. At the Line starting with Boolean bool = ... and at if(bool) ...

Answer 1

You are missing a script{} -step which is required in a declarative pipeline.

Quote:

The script step takes a block of Scripted Pipeline and executes that in the Declarative Pipeline.

stage('Check') {     steps {                 script {             Boolean bool = fileExists 'NewFile.txt'             if (bool) {                 println "The File exists :)"             } else {                 println "The File does not exist :("             }            }              } } 

Answer 2

There are multiple reasons why you may get the "Expected a step" error.

Mine occurred because I used single quotes ' to surround a step script instead of double quotes ". For example:

stage("Build") {     steps {         sh "./build.sh ${SECRET_KEY}"     } } 

The string used above uses string interpolation (or I guess it's called a "templateable string"?), which won't work for a single-quoted string.

Thought I'd add this answer here in case someone comes from Google and the accepted answer doesn't work!