Ant Throws Reference Error for Existing Jar File - ant

Question

I want to add task to my build.xml file:
<target name="forbidden-checks" depends="download-forbidden-checks">
<taskdef name="forbidden-apis" classname="de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis.AntTask"
classpathref="lib/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar"/>
<fa:forbiddenapis classpathref="build.classpath" dir="${build.dir}" targetVersion="${jdk.version}">
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-unsafe"/>
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-deprecated"/>
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-non-portable"/>
</fa:forbiddenapis>
</target>
I see that jar is downloaded, there is no problem. However I get an error:
download-forbidden-checks:
setup-maven-url:
download-via-maven:
[get] Getting: https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/de/thetaphi/forbiddenapis/2.2/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar
[get] To: /home/kamaci/pro/lib/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar
forbidden-checks:
BUILD FAILED
/home/kamaci/pro/build.xml:2391: Reference /home/kamaci/pro/lib/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar not found.
I checked if I have a problem with the path of jar. So, I've put forbiddenapis-2.2.jar to another place than the project. I've pointed that jar from my taskef but I got same error.
Any ideas?
EDIT 1:
I've changed it to that:
<target name="forbidden-checks" depends="download-forbidden-checks">
<taskdef name="forbidden-apis" classname="de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis.AntTask">
<classpath>
<pathelement location="/home/kamaci/pro/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar"/>
</classpath>
</taskdef>
<fa:forbiddenapis targetVersion="${jdk.version}">
<classpath>
<pathelement location="lib/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar"/>
</classpath>
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-unsafe"/>
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-deprecated"/>
<bundledsignatures name="jdk-non-portable"/>
</fa:forbiddenapis>
</target>
However, it didn't work:
Problem: failed to create task or type antlib:de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis:forbiddenapis
Cause: The name is undefined.
Action: Check the spelling.
Action: Check that any custom tasks/types have been declared.
Action: Check that any <presetdef>/<macrodef> declarations have taken place.
No types or tasks have been defined in this namespace yet
This appears to be an antlib declaration.
Action: Check that the implementing library exists in one of:
-/usr/share/ant/lib
-/home/kamaci/.ant/lib
-a directory added on the command line with the -lib argument
When I run this:
ant forbidden-checks -lib lib/
it works. My project definition starts with that at build.xml:
Why I should add -lib? Is there any way to avoid it?

Answer 1

Pretty sure the issue is the classpathref as it is using a literal value and not a path element, so the jar may exist just not on the classpath, try creating a path element to use for the taskdef
<path id="lib.path">
<fileset dir="lib" includes="lib/*.jar"/>
</path>
<taskdef name="forbidden-apis" classname="de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis.AntTask"
classpathref="lib.path"/>
or defining the classpath inside the taskdef.
<taskdef name="forbidden-apis" classname="de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis.AntTask">
<classpath>
<pathelement location="lib/forbiddenapis-2.2.jar"/>
</classpath>
</taskdef>