When to create deployment artifact? Every build or when deploying?

[muratgur]

We are using git feature branching. Every time a developer makes a PR branch, bamboo kicks in builds and test the branch. If everything is ok PR can be merged. When we want to make a release, the developer creates a release branch and deployment project creates the artifact, uploads the artifact to the server. We think creating artifacts when making deployment makes thing easier and faster rather than every build because developers make PR more frequently. So what is the best practice for creating artifacts? During build plan or when deploying to server. 

[Jobin Kuruvilla [Adaptavist]]

The problem with creating artifacts in the deployment is that they are not available for download if you want to take a look at them later. Also, you won't be able to easily go back and deploy and older artifact if you need to.

Having said that, creating artifacts for each build is a pain as well. You can get away from that by having a separate deployment build. You normal builds will work as it now does, with feature branch plans, and they won't create the artifacts. You will have a separate deployment build that creates the artifacts, either triggered by changes to the main branch or triggered manually. The deployment project will be tagged to the new build and will pick the artifacts from the new build.

I have seen this working fine in many places but it all depends on the process you want to follow. Tools are there to facilitate that process :)