add jenkinsfile_branches back in in case we need it for release

Author: rerpha

release_scripts/Jenkinsfile_branches

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!groovy
+
+pipeline {
+
+    agent {
+        label {
+            label("sl7cloud")
+        }
+    }
+
+    options {
+        buildDiscarder(logRotator(numToKeepStr:'5'))
+        disableConcurrentBuilds()
+        timestamps()
+        // as we "checkout scm" as a stage, we do not need to do it here too
+        skipDefaultCheckout(true)
+        office365ConnectorWebhooks([[
+                    name: "Office 365",
+                    notifyBackToNormal: true,
+                    startNotification: false,
+                    notifyFailure: true,
+                    notifySuccess: false,
+                    notifyNotBuilt: false,
+                    notifyAborted: false,
+                    notifyRepeatedFailure: true,
+                    notifyUnstable: true,
+                    url: "${env.MSTEAMS_URL}"
+            ]]
+    )
+    }
+    
+    stages {  
+
+        stage("Checkout") {
+            steps {
+                echo "Branch: ${env.BRANCH_NAME}"
+                checkout scm
+            }
+        }
+
+        stage('Set params') {
+            steps {
+                script { 
+                    properties([
+                        parameters([
+                            string(
+                                name: "VERSION",
+                                description: "The release version in X.x.m format e.g. 12.3.2",
+                                trim: true
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "REMOTE",
+                                description: "Update submodules to latest version from remote. Defaults to false, appropriate for a normal release",
+                                defaultValue: false
+                            ),
+                            string(
+                                name: "TAG", 
+                                description: "Commit to branch release from. Defaults to 'HEAD', appropriate for a normal release. May need to set specific TAG here for patch release.", 
+                                defaultValue: "HEAD",
+                                trim: true
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "EPICS",
+                                description: "Create release branches for EPICS and submodules.",
+                                defaultValue: true
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "IBEX_GUI",
+                                description: "Create release branch for IBEX GUI.",
+                                defaultValue: true,
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "SCRIPT_GENERATOR",
+                                description: "Create release branch for the Script Generator.",
+                                defaultValue: true
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "UKTENA",
+                                description: "Create release branch for Uktena Python distribution.",
+                                defaultValue: true
+                            ),
+                            booleanParam(
+                                name: "JSON_BOURNE",
+                                description: "Create release branch for JSON_bourne.",
+                                defaultValue: false
+                            )
+                        ])
+                    ])
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        stage("Create release branches") {
+            steps {
+                sh """
+                    python3 -m pip install -r release_scripts/requirements.txt --user
+                    python3 -u release_scripts/branches.py --version ${params.VERSION}
+                """
+            }
+        }
+
+        stage("Start release builds") {
+            steps {
+                script {
+                    if (params.EPICS) {
+                        build job: "EPICS_release", propagate: false, wait: false
+                        build job: "EPICS_release32", propagate: false, wait: false
+                    }
+                    if (params.UKTENA) {
+                        build job: "uktena_release_pipeline", propagate: false, wait: false
+                    }
+                    if (params.IBEX_GUI) {
+                        build job: "ibex_gui_releases_pipeline", propagate: false, wait: false
+                    }
+                    if (params.SCRIPT_GENERATOR) {
+                        build job: "scriptgenerator_release", propagate: false, wait: false
+                    }
+                    // currently no release job for JSON_Bourne but it is not deployed to instruments directly
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}