title: If else statement not working properly in Jenkins pipeline script (groovy)
body: <p>I have the pipeline script (groovy) where i m trying to use if and else condition but its not behaving normally. Seems it always returns false. </p>
  
  <p>Here is my sample (snip of) pipeline script:</p>
  
  <pre><code>def branch_exists_in_node = 1
  def branch_exists_in_common = 0
  def branch_exists_in_extra = 0
                  if(branch_exists_in_node == 1) {
                      NODE_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME
                  }else {
                      NODE_BRANCH = "master";
                  }
                  if(branch_exists_in_common == 1) {
                      COMMON_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME
                  }else {
                      COMMON_BRANCH = "master"
                  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But here it always evaluating to false even if the value is 1. Is there any issue with the syntax?</p>
  
  <p>when i do echo of above variables, it prints well..</p>
  
  <pre><code>                    echo "${branch_exists_in_angular}" //0
                      echo "${branch_exists_in_node}" //1
                      echo "${branch_exists_in_common}" //0
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>UPDATE:
  Here is my minimal jenkins pipeline script, please help</p>
  
  <pre><code>def EXTRA_BRANCH
  def ANGULAR_BRANCH
  def NODE_BRANCH
  def COMMON_BRANCH
  def branch_exists_in_angular
  def branch_exists_in_node
  def branch_exists_in_common
  def branch_exists_in_extra
  
  pipeline {
      agent {
          label 'nimbus-cloud'
      }
      options {
          gitLabConnection('gitlab')
          timeout(time:1, unit: 'HOURS')
      }
      environment {
          WORK_DIR = "${WORKSPACE}/${BUILD_NUMBER}"
          EXTRA_REPO = "git@gitlab.example.com:tools/extra.git"
          COMMON_REPO = "git@gitlab.example.com:tools/common.git"
          ANGULAR_REPO = "git@gitlab.example.com:tools/angular.git"
          NODE_REPO = "git@gitlab.example.com:tools/node.git"
          EXTRA_BRANCH = "${env.BRANCH_NAME}"
      }
      stages {
          stage('PREDEPLOYMENT: Cleanup and Setting up the VM. '){
              steps {
                  running("${JOB_NAME}")
                  echo "Deleting previous images. "
                  sh 'docker rmi -f $(docker images -a -q) | echo "Not able to delete some images"'
                  dir("$WORKSPACE"){
                      sh 'rm -rf *'
                  }
                  // setting up
                  echo "BRANCH NAME IS ${env.BRANCH_NAME}"
                  script {
                      EXTRA_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME // this will be different across all the repos
                  // Check if above branch is already there on every repo -- for angular
                      try {
                          sshagent(['my-git-ssh']){
                              branch_exists_in_angular = sh(script: 'git ls-remote --heads $ANGULAR_REPO $EXTRA_BRANCH | wc -l', returnStdout: true)
                              echo "${branch_exists_in_angular}"
                              branch_exists_in_node = sh(script: 'git ls-remote --heads $NODE_REPO $EXTRA_BRANCH | wc -l', returnStdout: true)
                              echo "${branch_exists_in_node}"
                              branch_exists_in_common = sh(script: 'git ls-remote --heads $COMMON_REPO $EXTRA_BRANCH  | wc -l', returnStdout: true)
                              echo "${branch_exists_in_common}"
                          }
                      } catch(Exception e){
                          echo "WARN: something unexpected occured. "
                          echo "${e}"
                      }
                      // below lines prints as expected
                      echo "${branch_exists_in_angular}" // 0
                      echo "${branch_exists_in_node}" // 1
                      echo "${branch_exists_in_common}" //0
                      if(branch_exists_in_angular) {
                          ANGULAR_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME
                      }else {
                          ANGULAR_BRANCH = "master";
                      }
                      if(branch_exists_in_node) {
                          NODE_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME
                      }else {
                          NODE_BRANCH = "master";
                      }
                      if(branch_exists_in_common) {
                          COMMON_BRANCH = env.BRANCH_NAME
                      }else {
                          COMMON_BRANCH = "master"
                      }
                  }
                  echo ANGULAR_BRANCH // prints master = expected
                  echo NODE_BRANCH // prints master but expected is checkout branch name feature-test
                  echo COMMON_BRANCH // prints master expected
              }
              post {
                  success {
                      echo "Success: VM Cleaned up for testing. "
                  }
                  failure {
                      echo "Error: Some error  occured while cleaning up the system. "
                      failure("${JOB_NAME}")
                  }
              }
          }
      }
  }
  </code></pre>