#Writing Tasks for Tekton Hub

#Overview

This guide covers the specific requirements and best practices for creating Tasks that work with Tekton Hub catalogs. It focuses on Hub-specific metadata, validation, and standards.

#Tekton Hub Requirements

#Task vs ClusterTask

⚠️ CRITICAL: ClusterTask is DEPRECATED and REMOVED in Tekton Pipelines v1.0+. Do NOT use ClusterTask.

• Task: The ONLY supported resource type for Hub catalogs
• ClusterTask: ❌ REMOVED in Tekton v1.0+ - will not work

#Migration from ClusterTask

# OLD - ClusterTask (NO LONGER WORKS)
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
kind: ClusterTask
metadata:
  name: buildah

# NEW - Task (Required for Hub)
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
kind: Task
metadata:
  name: buildah
  namespace: tekton-pipelines

#Hub-Specific Metadata

#Required Labels

metadata:
  name: my-custom-task
  labels:
    app.kubernetes.io/version: "0.1"  # Must match catalog version directory

#Required Annotations for Hub

metadata:
  annotations:
    tekton.dev/pipelines.minVersion: "0.17.0"  # Minimum Tekton version
    tekton.dev/categories: "Build Tools"       # Hub category
    tekton.dev/tags: "build,docker,image"     # Hub search tags
    tekton.dev/displayName: "Build Docker Image"  # Hub display name
    tekton.dev/platforms: "linux/amd64,linux/arm64"  # Supported platforms

#Hub Parameter Standards

#Parameter Types

Tekton Hub supports three parameter types:

• string: Single text value (default)
• array: List of string values
• object: JSON object with key-value pairs

#Hub-Specific Parameter Requirements

• Clear Descriptions: All parameters must have meaningful descriptions for Hub UI
• Sensible Defaults: Provide defaults where possible for better user experience
• Type Safety: Use appropriate types to prevent runtime errors

#Hub Best Practices

#Container Image Requirements

• Use official, trusted container images
• Pin specific versions instead of latest tags
• Ensure images work on supported platforms (linux/amd64, linux/arm64)
• Regularly update base images for security

#Results and Workspaces for Hub

• Results: Must have clear descriptions for Hub documentation
• Workspaces: Mark optional workspaces as optional: true
• Descriptions: Required for all workspaces and results

#Hub Categories and Tags

#Standard Categories

• Build Tools
• Testing
• Deployment
• Security
• Integration & Delivery
• Developer Tools
• Code Quality

#Effective Tagging

• Use specific, searchable tags
• Include technology names (docker, kubernetes, npm, etc.)
• Add use case tags (ci, cd, build, test, deploy)

#Hub Validation Requirements

#Error Handling Standards

• Use proper exit codes (0 for success, non-zero for failure)
• Provide clear error messages for Hub users
• Include structured logging for better debugging

#Security for Hub Tasks

#Hub Security Requirements

• No hardcoded secrets in Task definitions
• Use trusted, official container images
• Pin specific image versions (no latest tags)
• Follow minimal privilege principles
• Document any special security requirements

#Hub Testing Requirements

#Required Test Files

• Provide working samples/ directory with TaskRun examples
• Include run.yaml demonstrating typical usage
• Test all parameter combinations
• Validate error handling scenarios

#Hub Validation Checklist

• Required Hub metadata present
• Sample TaskRun works correctly
• All parameters documented with descriptions
• Results and workspaces properly described
• Security best practices followed
• Platform compatibility verified

#Hub Task Template

apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1
kind: Task
metadata:
  name: my-hub-task
  labels:
    app.kubernetes.io/version: "0.1"  # Match catalog version
  annotations:
    tekton.dev/pipelines.minVersion: "0.17.0"
    tekton.dev/categories: "Build Tools"  # Hub category
    tekton.dev/tags: "build,example"      # Hub search tags
    tekton.dev/displayName: "My Hub Task" # Hub display name
    tekton.dev/platforms: "linux/amd64,linux/arm64"  # Platforms
spec:
  description: >-
    Task description for Hub documentation
  params:
  - name: required-param
    description: Required parameter description
  - name: optional-param
    description: Optional parameter description
    default: "default-value"
  workspaces:
  - name: source
    description: Source workspace description
  results:
  - name: output
    description: Result description
  steps:
  - name: main
    image: alpine:3.18  # Pinned version
    script: |
      #!/bin/sh
      set -e
      echo "Hub task executed successfully"
      echo "result" > $(results.output.path)

#Documentation Requirements

#Hub Documentation Standards

• Include comprehensive README.md in task directory
• Document all parameters, workspaces, and results
• Provide usage examples and common use cases
• Include troubleshooting information

#Hub Publishing Checklist

#✅ Hub Compliance

• Required Hub metadata (labels and annotations) present
• Task uses Task resource type (not ClusterTask)
• Version label matches directory structure
• All parameters and results have descriptions
• Container images use pinned versions
• Platform compatibility specified
• Working sample TaskRun provided
• Complete README with usage examples
• Passes Hub validation requirements

#✅ Quality Standards

• Task is idempotent and reusable
• Error handling with proper exit codes
• No hardcoded secrets or credentials
• Security best practices followed
• Cross-platform compatibility verified
• Documentation is complete and accurate