@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
<body> <body>
<h1>Using Ant</h1> <h1>Using Ant</h1>
<h2><a name="buildfile">Writing a Simple Buildfile</a></h2> <h2><a name="buildfile">Writing a Simple Buildfile</a></h2>
<p>Ant's buildfiles are written in XML. Each buildfile contains one project.</p>
<p>Each task element of the buildfile can have an <code>id</code> attribute and
<p>Ant's buildfiles are written in XML. Each buildfile contains one project
and at least one (default) target. Targets contain task elements.
Each task element of the buildfile can have an <code>id</code> attribute and
can later be referred to by the value supplied to this. The value has can later be referred to by the value supplied to this. The value has
to be unique. (For additional information, see the to be unique. (For additional information, see the
<a href="#tasks"> Tasks</a> section below.)</p> <a href="#tasks"> Tasks</a> section below.)</p>
<h3>Projects</h3>
<h3><a name="projects"> Projects</a> </h3>
<p>A <i>project</i> has three attributes:</p> <p>A <i>project</i> has three attributes:</p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
<tr> <tr>
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ to be unique. (For additional information, see the
</tr> </tr>
</table> </table>
<p>Optionally, a description for the project can be provided as a <p>Optionally, a description for the project can be provided as a
top-level <description> element (see the <a
top-level <code> <description></code> element (see the <a
href="CoreTypes/description.html">description</a> type).</p> href="CoreTypes/description.html">description</a> type).</p>
<p>Each project defines one or more <i>targets</i>. <p>Each project defines one or more <i>targets</i>.
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ to be executed. When starting Ant, you can select which target(s) you
want to have executed. When no target is given, want to have executed. When no target is given,
the project's default is used.</p> the project's default is used.</p>
<h3>Targets</h3>
<h3><a name="targets"> Targets</a> </h3>
<p>A target can depend on other targets. You might have a target for compiling, <p>A target can depend on other targets. You might have a target for compiling,
for example, and a target for creating a distributable. You can only build a for example, and a target for creating a distributable. You can only build a
distributable when you have compiled first, so the distribute target distributable when you have compiled first, so the distribute target
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ Tasks can be assigned an <code>id</code> attribute:
<pre><<i>taskname</i> id="<i>taskID</i>" ... /></pre> <pre><<i>taskname</i> id="<i>taskID</i>" ... /></pre>
</blockquote> </blockquote>
where <i>taskname</i> is the name of the task, and <i>taskID</i> is where <i>taskname</i> is the name of the task, and <i>taskID</i> is
a unique name for this task.
a unique identifier for this task.
You can refer to the You can refer to the
corresponding task object in scripts or other tasks via this name. corresponding task object in scripts or other tasks via this name.
For example, in scripts you could do: For example, in scripts you could do:
@@ -187,17 +188,17 @@ be backward-compatible with this behaviour, since there will likely be no
task instances at all, only proxies. task instances at all, only proxies.
</p> </p>
<h3>Properties</h3>
<h3><a name="properties"> Properties</a> </h3>
<p>A project can have a set of properties. These might be set in the buildfile <p>A project can have a set of properties. These might be set in the buildfile
by the <a href="CoreTasks/property.html">property task</a> , or might be set outside Ant. A
property has a name and a value, the name is case sensitive. Properties may be used in the value of
by the <a href="CoreTasks/property.html">property</a> task, or might be set outside Ant. A
property has a name and a value; the name is case- sensitive. Properties may be used in the value of
task attributes. This is done by placing the property name between task attributes. This is done by placing the property name between
"<code>${</code>" and "<code>}</code>" in the "<code>${</code>" and "<code>}</code>" in the
attribute value. For example, attribute value. For example,
if there is a "builddir" property with the value if there is a "builddir" property with the value
"build", then this could be used in an attribute like this: "build", then this could be used in an attribute like this:
<code>${builddir}/classes</code>. <code>${builddir}/classes</code>.
This is resolved as <code>build/classes</code>.</p>
This is resolved at run-time a s <code>build/classes</code>.</p>
<h3><a name="built-in-props">Built-in Properties</a></h3> <h3><a name="built-in-props">Built-in Properties</a></h3>
<p>Ant provides access to all system properties as if they had been <p>Ant provides access to all system properties as if they had been
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ ant.java.version the JVM version Ant detected; currently it can hold
the values "1.1", "1.2", "1.3" and "1.4". the values "1.1", "1.2", "1.3" and "1.4".
</pre> </pre>
<h3>Example</h3>
<a name="example"> <h3>Example Buildfile </h3></a>
<pre> <pre>
<project name="MyProject" default="dist" basedir="."> <project name="MyProject" default="dist" basedir=".">
@@ -256,16 +257,16 @@ ant.java.version the JVM version Ant detected; currently it can hold
</project> </project>
</pre> </pre>
<h3>Token Filters</h3>
<a name="filters"> <h3>Token Filters</h3></a>
<p>A project can have a set of tokens that might be automatically expanded if <p>A project can have a set of tokens that might be automatically expanded if
found when a file is copied, when the filtering-copy behavior is selected in the found when a file is copied, when the filtering-copy behavior is selected in the
tasks that support this. These might be set in the buildfile tasks that support this. These might be set in the buildfile
by the <a href="CoreTasks/filter.html">filter task</a> . </p>
by the <a href="CoreTasks/filter.html">filter</a> task.</p>
<p>Since this can potentially be a very harmful behavior, <p>Since this can potentially be a very harmful behavior,
the tokens in the files <b>must</b> the tokens in the files <b>must</b>
be of the form <code>@</code><i>token</i><code>@</code>, where be of the form <code>@</code><i>token</i><code>@</code>, where
<i>token</i> is the token name that is set <i>token</i> is the token name that is set
in the filter task. This token syntax matches the syntax of other build systems
in the <code>< filter></code> task. This token syntax matches the syntax of other build systems
that perform such filtering and remains sufficiently orthogonal to most that perform such filtering and remains sufficiently orthogonal to most
programming and scripting languages, as well as with documentation systems.</p> programming and scripting languages, as well as with documentation systems.</p>
<p>Note: If a token with the format <code>@</code><i>token</i><code>@</code> <p>Note: If a token with the format <code>@</code><i>token</i><code>@</code>
@@ -411,9 +412,9 @@ that contain space characters, nested <code>arg</code> elements can be used.</p>
<h3><a name="references">References</a></h3> <h3><a name="references">References</a></h3>
<p>The <code>id</code> attribute of the buildfile's elements can be <p>The <code>id</code> attribute of the buildfile's elements can be
used to refer to them. This can useful if you are going to replicate
used to refer to them. This can be useful if you are going to replicate
the same snippet of XML over and over again - using a the same snippet of XML over and over again - using a
<code><classpath></code> structure more than once for
<code><classpath></code> structure more than once, for
example.</p> example.</p>
<p>The following example:</p> <p>The following example:</p>
<blockquote><pre> <blockquote><pre>
Diane Holt