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tkn pac generate

Generate a simple PipelineRun template to get started with Pipelines-as-Code.

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Synopsis

tkn pac generate [flags]
tkn pac gen [flags]

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Description

The generate command creates a basic PipelineRun template in the .tekton/ directory. It:
  1. Detects Git information from current directory
  2. Performs language detection (Python, Go, Node.js, etc.)
  3. Adds relevant tasks based on detected language
  4. Creates .tekton/ directory if it doesn’t exist
  5. Generates a customizable template

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Usage Examples

# Generate with interactive prompts
tkn pac generate

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Interactive Prompts

When run without flags:

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1. Event Type Selection

? Enter the Git event type for triggering the pipeline:
  › Pull Request
    Push to a Branch or a Tag

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2. Target Branch

For pull requests: 
Enter the target Git branch for the Pull Request (default: main):
For push events: 
Enter a target Git branch or tag for the push (default: main):

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3. File Overwrite Confirmation

If the file already exists: 
A file named .tekton/pull-request.yaml already exists. Would you like to override it? (y/N)

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Flags

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--event-type
string
Event type: pull_request or push
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--branch
string
Target branch for the PipelineRun (e.g., main, develop, feature/*)
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--pipeline-name
string
Custom pipeline name
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-f, --file-name
string
Output file location (default: .tekton/<event>.yaml)
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--overwrite
boolean
default:"false"
Overwrite existing file without prompting
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-l, --language
string
Generate template for specific programming language

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Language Detection

The generator detects languages by looking for specific files:
LanguageDetection FilesAdded Tasks
Pythonsetup.py, pyproject.toml, requirements.txtpylint
Gogo.mod, go.sumgolangci-lint
Node.jspackage.jsonnpm
Javapom.xml, build.gradlemaven
RubyGemfilerubocop
Language detection adds relevant linting and testing tasks automatically.

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Generated File Structure

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Default File Naming

Generated files are named based on event type:
  • Pull Request: .tekton/pull-request.yaml
  • Push: .tekton/push.yaml
  • Multiple events: .tekton/pipelinerun.yaml

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Directory Creation

If .tekton/ doesn’t exist: 
ℹ️ Directory .tekton has been created.

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Output Example

$ tkn pac generate

? Enter the Git event type for triggering the pipeline: Pull Request
? Enter the target GIT branch for the Pull Request (default: main): main

ℹ️ Directory .tekton has been created.
✓ A basic template has been created in .tekton/pull-request.yaml, feel free to customize it.
ℹ️ You can test your pipeline by pushing the generated template to your git repository

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Generated Template Examples

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Basic Template

.tekton/pull-request.yaml
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
kind: PipelineRun
metadata:
  name: my-app-pull-request
  annotations:
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-event: "[pull_request]"
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-target-branch: "[main]"
spec:
  pipelineSpec:
    tasks:
    - name: fetch-repository
      taskRef:
        name: git-clone
        resolver: hub
      workspaces:
      - name: output
        workspace: source
      params:
      - name: url
        value: "{{ repo_url }}"
      - name: revision
        value: "{{ revision }}"
  workspaces:
  - name: source
    emptyDir: {}

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Python Project Template

When setup.py is detected:
.tekton/pull-request.yaml
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
kind: PipelineRun
metadata:
  name: python-app-pull-request
  annotations:
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-event: "[pull_request]"
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-target-branch: "[main]"
spec:
  pipelineSpec:
    tasks:
    - name: fetch-repository
      taskRef:
        name: git-clone
        resolver: hub
      workspaces:
      - name: output
        workspace: source
      params:
      - name: url
        value: "{{ repo_url }}"
      - name: revision
        value: "{{ revision }}"
    
    - name: pylint
      runAfter: [fetch-repository]
      taskRef:
        name: pylint
        resolver: hub
      workspaces:
      - name: source
        workspace: source
      params:
      - name: args
        value: ["--disable=C0114"]
  
  workspaces:
  - name: source
    emptyDir: {}

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Go Project Template

When go.mod is detected:
.tekton/pull-request.yaml
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
kind: PipelineRun
metadata:
  name: go-app-pull-request
  annotations:
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-event: "[pull_request]"
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-target-branch: "[main]"
spec:
  pipelineSpec:
    tasks:
    - name: fetch-repository
      taskRef:
        name: git-clone
        resolver: hub
      workspaces:
      - name: output
        workspace: source
      params:
      - name: url
        value: "{{ repo_url }}"
      - name: revision
        value: "{{ revision }}"
    
    - name: golangci-lint
      runAfter: [fetch-repository]
      taskRef:
        name: golangci-lint
        resolver: hub
      workspaces:
      - name: source
        workspace: source
      params:
      - name: package
        value: "./..."
  
  workspaces:
  - name: source
    emptyDir: {}

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Template Variables

Generated templates use these variables (substituted by PAC at runtime):
VariableDescriptionExample
{{ repo_url }}Repository URLhttps://github.com/org/repo
{{ revision }}Git commit SHAabc123...
{{ target_branch }}Target branch namemain
{{ source_branch }}Source branch namefeature/new
{{ event_type }}Event typepull_request
{{ sender }}User who triggeredusername
See Template Variables for complete list.

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Customization After Generation

The generated template is a starting point. Common customizations:

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Add More Tasks

tasks:
- name: fetch-repository
  # ... existing task ...

- name: run-tests
  runAfter: [fetch-repository]
  taskRef:
    name: golang-test
    resolver: hub
  workspaces:
  - name: source
    workspace: source

- name: build-image
  runAfter: [run-tests]
  taskRef:
    name: buildah
    resolver: hub
  # ... params ...

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Add Workspaces

workspaces:
- name: source
  volumeClaimTemplate:
    spec:
      accessModes:
      - ReadWriteOnce
      resources:
        requests:
          storage: 1Gi

- name: cache
  persistentVolumeClaim:
    claimName: build-cache

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Add Parameters

spec:
  params:
  - name: image-name
    value: "quay.io/myorg/myapp"
  - name: dockerfile
    value: "./Dockerfile"
  
  pipelineSpec:
    params:
    - name: image-name
      type: string
    - name: dockerfile
      type: string
    # ... tasks ...

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Target Multiple Branches

metadata:
  annotations:
    pipelinesascode.tekton.dev/on-target-branch: "[main, develop, release/*]"

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Common Workflows

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Generate and Test Locally

# Generate template
tkn pac generate

# Test locally before pushing
tkn pac resolve -f .tekton/pull-request.yaml | kubectl apply -f -

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Generate Multiple Event Types

# Pull request pipeline
tkn pac generate --event-type pull_request --branch main

# Push pipeline
tkn pac generate --event-type push --branch main --file-name .tekton/push.yaml

# Tag pipeline
tkn pac generate --event-type push --branch "refs/tags/*" --file-name .tekton/tag.yaml

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Generate per Environment

# Development
tkn pac generate --branch develop --file-name .tekton/dev.yaml

# Staging  
tkn pac generate --branch staging --file-name .tekton/staging.yaml

# Production
tkn pac generate --branch main --file-name .tekton/prod.yaml

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Troubleshooting

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File Already Exists

A file named .tekton/pull-request.yaml already exists.
Solution: Use --overwrite or choose different filename: 
tkn pac generate --overwrite
# or
tkn pac generate --file-name .tekton/pr-v2.yaml

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Not in Git Repository

ℹ️ Could not detect Git information
Solution: This is not an error. The template will be created without Git-specific defaults.

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Permission Denied

Error: cannot write template to .tekton/pull-request.yaml: permission denied
Solution: Check directory permissions: 
chmod 755 .tekton

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See Also

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