Testing Helm Chart NOTES.txt Updates Without Rebuilding the Chart
Problem: You've updated the NOTES.txt file in your Helm chart, but you don't want to rebuild the entire chart just to see if your changes are reflected.
Rephrased: How can you quickly test your NOTES.txt changes without going through the entire Helm chart building process?
Scenario: Imagine you're working on a Helm chart for your application. You've made some updates to the installation instructions and other helpful information in the NOTES.txt file. You want to see if these changes are reflected correctly before pushing your updates.
Original Code (Example):
# ... other chart files ...
# NOTES.txt
This is an example application chart.
## Installation
Insight: Helm charts use a template-based approach for generating resources and outputs. This means that changes to NOTES.txt are only reflected when the chart is rendered or deployed.
Solutions:
-
Directly View the Rendered Output:
- Use the
helm templatecommand to render the chart locally. This will output the generated resources, including your updatedNOTES.txt. - Example:
helm template my-chart . > rendered_output.yaml - This method lets you quickly view the rendered output without actually deploying the chart.
- Use the
-
Use the
helm show notesCommand:- If you have a deployed chart, the
helm show notescommand can be used to view theNOTES.txtcontent directly from the deployed chart. - Example:
helm show notes my-chart -n my-namespace
- If you have a deployed chart, the
Important Considerations:
- Chart Versioning: While these methods allow for testing
NOTES.txtchanges without rebuilding, it's still recommended to follow best practices by incrementing the chart version when pushing updates. - Content Types: Remember that
NOTES.txtis primarily for human-readable information. It's not designed for complex formatting or dynamic content. For those requirements, consider using other tools like Helm'svalues.yamlfile or rendering custom templates within the chart.
Additional Value:
Understanding how to quickly test your NOTES.txt updates can significantly improve your workflow. It allows for iterative development and ensures that your documentation is accurate before deploying your charts.
References:
Conclusion: You don't need to rebuild your Helm chart every time you make a change to the NOTES.txt file. By using the provided methods, you can effectively preview and validate your documentation updates before pushing them to your chart repository.
