Writing Custom Hooks and Plugins in Bitbucket

Bitbucket provides the flexibility to extend its functionality through custom hooks and plugins. By writing custom hooks and plugins, you can automate workflows, enforce rules, and integrate with external systems. This tutorial will guide you through the process of writing custom hooks and plugins in Bitbucket.

Introduction to Custom Hooks and Plugins

Hooks and plugins allow you to enhance Bitbucket's capabilities and tailor it to your specific requirements. Hooks are scripts or programs that are executed at specific points in the repository's lifecycle, such as before or after a commit or push. Plugins, on the other hand, are extensions that add new features or modify existing ones. In this tutorial, we will focus on writing custom hooks and plugins.

1. Writing Custom Hooks

Custom hooks enable you to automate processes and enforce rules in your Bitbucket repositories. Here's an example of a pre-receive hook that validates commit messages:

#!/bin/bash

while read oldrev newrev refname
do
  # Extract the commit message
  commit_message=$(git log --format=%B -n 1 $newrev)

  # Validate the commit message format
  if [[ ! $commit_message =~ ^\[JIRA-[0-9]+\] ]]; then
    echo "Invalid commit message format. Please use [JIRA-XXXX] prefix."
    exit 1
  fi
done

exit 0

In this example, the hook checks if the commit message follows the format [JIRA-XXXX], where XXXX represents a JIRA issue number. If the commit message doesn't match the expected format, the hook exits with an error.

2. Developing Custom Plugins

Custom plugins provide the ability to extend Bitbucket's functionality by adding new features or modifying existing ones. Bitbucket supports plugins written in Java using the Atlassian Plugin SDK. Here's an example of a simple plugin that adds a custom repository action:

public class MyCustomPlugin implements RepositoryAction {

  @Override
  public void perform(ActionContext context) {
    // Custom logic for the repository action
    // ...
  }

  @Override
  public String getName() {
    return "My Custom Plugin";
  }
}

In this example, the plugin implements the RepositoryAction interface and defines the logic for the custom repository action in the perform() method. The getName() method returns the name of the plugin, which will be displayed in the Bitbucket user interface.

Common Mistakes

• Not understanding the Bitbucket plugin architecture and its extension points.
• Writing hooks or plugins with complex and inefficient logic, impacting performance.
• Not properly testing the hooks or plugins in a development or staging environment before deploying them to production.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I write hooks or plugins in languages other than Bash or Java?

   While the examples provided in this tutorial use Bash and Java, you can write hooks or plugins in other languages as well, depending on Bitbucket's supported scripting or programming languages. Refer to the Bitbucket documentation for more information.

2. How can I distribute and install my custom plugins in Bitbucket?

   Bitbucket provides mechanisms to package and distribute custom plugins. You can package your plugin as a JAR file and install it via the Bitbucket administration interface or by deploying it to the appropriate plugin directory on the server. Refer to the Bitbucket documentation for detailed instructions.

3. Are there any security considerations when writing custom hooks or plugins?

   Yes, when writing custom hooks or plugins, it's important to follow best practices for security. Ensure that your code does not introduce vulnerabilities or expose sensitive information. Review your code for potential security risks and consider implementing appropriate security measures, such as input validation and access controls.

Summary

Writing custom hooks and plugins in Bitbucket empowers you to extend the platform's functionality and automate workflows according to your specific needs. By leveraging hooks, you can enforce rules and automate processes at various stages of the repository's lifecycle. Developing custom plugins allows you to add new features or modify existing ones, providing a tailored experience for your team. Remember to follow best practices, test thoroughly, and consider security aspects when writing custom hooks and plugins in Bitbucket.