I have created an ant project which has some targets inside. One target is called info, which displays all available targets. This target is set as the default:
<project name="XXX" basedir="." default="info">
Now I want this target to be called in case of target not found:
Target "infp" does not exist in the project "XXX"
I need this in case the user calls a target that doesn't exist. Then I want the info to be displayed, so that he sees all the available options.
Thanks
ANT does not support this functionality. The "default" target is called if no target is specified on the command line.
Instead I would suggest making your build self describing and teaching your users about ANT
's -p option.
Example
The following build file:
<project name="demo" default="welcome">
<description>
The purpose of this build file is to explain how one
can make an ANT file self describing
</description>
<target name="welcome" description="Print a hello world message">
<echo message="hello world"/>
</target>
<target name="do-somthing" description="Print a dummy message">
<echo message="hello world"/>
</target>
<target name="do-somthing-silent">
<echo message="hello world"/>
</target>
</project>
Can describe itself as follows:
$ ant -p
Buildfile: /home/mark/build.xml
The purpose of this build file is to explain how one
can make an ANT file self describing
Main targets:
do-somthing Print a dummy message
welcome Print a hello world message
Default target: welcome
Related
To my surprise the build.xml file generated by Eclipse (Neon) for Java has no element containing an invocation of a jar task. As often is the case with code generation I think you have to use it and make no edits so that you can regenerate - or - avoid code generation completely. A comment in the generated file suggests it might be possible to avoid edits by extending the capabilities by importing.
<!-- WARNING: Eclipse auto-generated file.
Any modifications will be overwritten.
To include a user specific buildfile here, simply create one in the same
directory with the processing instruction <?eclipse.ant.import?>
as the first entry and export the buildfile again. -->
I thought I would be able to use the <?eclipse.ant.import?> element in an second file called export.xml. In ant scripting there is supposed to be one project per buildfile so now there is a second project with a dependency on a target in the first project.
Regenerating build.xml reveals that it contains an "import" as expected.
<import file="export.xml"/>
Unfortunately this does not work. Running ant, which I do from the command line, just seems to result in the export/jar project being ignored.
The generated script with the import element (nested on the 7th line)...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<project basedir="." default="build" name="ohana1">
<property environment="env"/>
<property name="debuglevel" value="source,lines,vars"/>
<property name="target" value="1.8"/>
<property name="source" value="1.8"/>
<import file="export.xml"/>
<path id="ohana1.classpath">
<pathelement location="bin"/>
<pathelement location="../export/ohana1/commons-collections-3.2.1.jar"/>
</path>
<target name="init">
<mkdir dir="bin"/>
<copy includeemptydirs="false" todir="bin">
<fileset dir="src">
<exclude name="**/*.launch"/>
<exclude name="**/*.java"/>
</fileset>
</copy>
</target>
<target name="clean">
<delete dir="bin"/>
</target>
<target depends="clean" name="cleanall"/>
<target depends="build-subprojects,build-project" name="build"/>
<target name="build-subprojects"/>
<target depends="init" name="build-project">
<echo message="${ant.project.name}: ${ant.file}"/>
<javac debug="true" debuglevel="${debuglevel}" destdir="bin" includeantruntime="false" source="${source}" target="${target}">
<src path="src"/>
<classpath refid="ohana1.classpath"/>
</javac>
</target>
<target description="Build all projects which reference this project. Useful to propagate changes." name="build-refprojects"/>
<target description="copy Eclipse compiler jars to ant lib directory" name="init-eclipse-compiler">
<copy todir="${ant.library.dir}">
<fileset dir="${ECLIPSE_HOME}/plugins" includes="org.eclipse.jdt.core_*.jar"/>
</copy>
<unzip dest="${ant.library.dir}">
<patternset includes="jdtCompilerAdapter.jar"/>
<fileset dir="${ECLIPSE_HOME}/plugins" includes="org.eclipse.jdt.core_*.jar"/>
</unzip>
</target>
<target description="compile project with Eclipse compiler" name="build-eclipse-compiler">
<property name="build.compiler" value="org.eclipse.jdt.core.JDTCompilerAdapter"/>
<antcall target="build"/>
</target>
</project>
The export.xml file meant to make a jar...
<?eclipse.ant.import?>
<project basedir="." default="export" name="ohana1Export">
<target depends="build,make-jar" name="export"/>
<target name="make-jar">
<jar destfile="../export/ohana1/${ant.project.name}.jar" basedir="bin"/>
</target>
</project>
Note that the Eclipse Ant editor complains about this export.xml file because the target named build, which is a dependency, does not exist in this project/buildfile. The build target is in the generated build.xml. That error might be coming from a "dumb" editor so I went ahead to do a run of ant. Invoking ant from the command line I find that there is no jar file made.
Should I conclude that Eclipse's ant script generator is useless if you need to export a .jar file and that a human should maintain the ant script that meets all the requirements?
Yes, in my opinion the exported build.xml is useless, as of Eclipse Neon, if the intention is to make a .jar.
Specifically do the following.
Manually write the trivial ant script that exports a .jar. The link at the bottom of this post has verbatim text on what the script might look like. You can use the built-in Xml Editor via New > Other > XML > XML File to create this new file which might be called makeJar.xml and save it. If the icon shown in the Package Explorer is still a plain XML file icon refreshing the project may change the icon to an Ant file icon. In the future, you can use Open With to get the Ant Editor instead of the XML Editor. This script will replace the manual exporting of a .jar that the user would otherwise perform via Eclipse.
This script can be added to Project > Properties > Builders. It would be placed second in the list of Builders. First in the list of Builders is the Java Builder which should already exist. When an Eclipse build is invoked the entire list of Builders will be processed in the order shown in the list of Builders. Thus not only will .class files be generated but also the .jar.
What is achieved is greater automation since the .class generation and .jar generation are now integrated, which arguably was the point of using the exported build.xml in a failed attempt to generate the .jar.
Here is the dialog at Project > Properties > Builders that you can use to create a new Builder. Select New then select Ant Builder. I gave the name makeJar to the new Builder.
Here is the dialog for the new Ant Builder that will allow you to browse to your buildfile which is your manually written Ant script that creates a .jar file. In this example the script is makeJar.xml. It also allows you to browse to the base directory to be used when the script is run.
After setting up the new Builder, a project "clean" or project "build" will create .class files and also the .jar.
Eclipse's documentation on this subject is at the link. Note that it seems impossible to link the exact page that contains the instructions so you have to browse down the documentation tree to the section about "Ant buildfiles as project builders".
Link to Eclipse and Ant
I have latest Jenkins running on Windows 2003 server.
Under, manage Jenkins:
I have IBM JDK set
I have ant: org.apache.ant_1.7.1.v20100518-1145 set as ant home
I have Jenkins AntExec plug in installed.
I have ant-contrib-0.6.jar inside anthome/lib.
I created a job, and added a build step, Execute Apache Ant, and I have this:
<echo> java home = ${JAVA_HOME}</echo>
<taskdef resource="net/sf/antcontrib/antlib.xml"/>
<project name="Test">
<description> Sample bulid file </description>
<target name="first">
<echo message="The first five letters of the alphabet are:"/>
<antcontrib:for list="a,b,c,d,e" param="letter">
<sequential>
<echo>Letter #{letter}</echo>
</sequential>
</antcontrib:for>
</target>
</project>
when I run build, it fails.
antexec_build.xml:
[echo] ant home = ${ANT_HOME}
[echo] java home = ${JAVA_HOME}
BUILD FAILED
C:\Program Files (x86)\Jenkins\jobs\MCSOWelcome\workspace\antexec_build.xml:13: Problem: failed to create task or type project
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.
I have tried many different things, no luck. Please suggest
AntExec comes bundled with AntContrib. You do not need to add or define it. On the contrary, to disable it, you need to open 2 Advanced... dialogs before you get the option.
What you need to do though, is use antcontrib namespace.
For example, to use for, type:
<antcontrib:for>
I ran into the same problem (I got the same error message: Problem: failed to create task or type project), although I didn't use <antcontrib:for> tag.
If you type some code to the Script source field at the Project configuration > Execute Apache Ant, the plugin doesn't use it as an entire Ant script file, but it inserts into a template script. It appears if you choose to keep the buildfile (Advanced view at Execute Ant Build step). In this case the generated antexec_build.xml Ant script will not be deleted from the Workspace of the Project after the build.
The issue is reproducable with this simple script typed in Script source:
<project>
</project>
The generated antexec_build.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<project default="antexec_build.xml" xmlns:antcontrib="antlib:net.sf.antcontrib" basedir=".">
<!-- Read additional properties -->
<property file="antexec_build.xml.properties"/>
<!-- Make environment variables accesible via ${env.VARIABLE} by default -->
<property environment="env"/>
<target name="antexec_build.xml">
<!-- Default target entered in the first textarea - begin -->
<project>
</project>
<!-- Default target entered in the first textarea - end -->
</target>
</project>
So that, a solution would be that only include the Ant script that you intend to insert into the <target></target> tag.
We have a large amount of apps. They all have a build.xml file located in the projects base directory. I am trying to create an ant script that will go through and call a specific target on each of the build.xml files in all the projects.
Here are the issues:
Some of the projects are in deeper directories than others.
Only some of the projects need to be built at a time.
I was trying to use subant + antfile and defining a CSV of file paths in a properties file, but this did not work. Below is what i have and the error i am getting.
If there is a better way to do this or you know what my problem is, please let me know! Thanks!
This is the property defined in a property file. I am wanting the person running the script to add the file paths in here that are relative to the current location of the script they are running.
projects.to.build=
This is the subant task i am trying to use in the main build script.
<filelist
id="projectNames"
dir="${basedir}"
files="${projects.to.build}"
/>
<target name="debugAll" description="Builds all the projects listed in the projectNames.properties file.">
<subant target="debug" antfile="${projects.to.build}">
</subant>
</target>
Here is the error i get when i try to run the build script when there are projects defined in the properties file. I am using the relative path. For example: ..\Apps\AnApp1\build.xml,..\Apps\AnApp2\build.xml,..\OtherApps\foo\AnotherApp1\build.xml
"No Build Path Specified" (at my subant task)
You specified the antfile attribute, so ANT was expecting to a single build.xml file.
The subant documentation describes how you can use a fileset as child parameter.
Here's an example:
<project name="Subant demo" default="run-debug-target">
<target name="run-debug-target">
<subant target="debug">
<fileset dir="." includes="**/build.xml" excludes="build.xml"/>
</subant>
</target>
</project>
Update
Alternatively a filelist could be used:
<project name="Dry run" default="run">
<target name="run">
<subant target="test">
<filelist dir="projects" files="one/build.xml,two/build.xml,three/build.xml,four/build.xml"/>
</subant>
</target>
</project>
Processing the following build files:
projects/one/build.xml
projects/two/build.xml
projects/three/build.xml
projects/four/build.xml
Is it possible to run the target in the all the build files concurrently ?
E.g.
<project name="Dry run" default="run">
<target name="run">
<subant target="test">
<filelist dir="projects" files="one/build.xml,two/build.xml,three/build.xml,four/build.xml"/>
</subant>
</target>
</project>
In this example, is there any way to run target "test" present in all the build files (one/build.xml,two/build.xml,three/build.xml,four/build.xml) concurrently ?
I would like to execute all targets instead of specifying each one.
For example:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project name="Kte" default="all" basedir="/home/Kte">
<target name="target1">
</target>
<target name="target2">
</target>
</project>
Currently I have use:
$ ant target1
$ ant target2
I'd like to use:
$ ant
and have both targets get built (this is just an example. Reality I have a long ever changing Ant buildfile with sub-ant files so would be very handy to have an "all" feature.
You could create an ant task all, which depends on all the specific targets that you have...
<target name="all" depends="target1, target2, ... ">
</target>
ant all
You can also set up a default task that will run when you just type ant. The default attribute is in the project element.
<project name="foo" default="all">
<target name="all" depends="target1, target2"/>
<target name="target1">
...
</target>
<target name="target2">
...
</target>
</project>
$ ant
Because Ant is declarative it doesn't do this sort of thing nicely. You might consider a script task though.
Ant buildfiles have an implicit un-named target that 'holds' all the tasks that are not part of named targets. So this, placed at the top-level, would do what you describe.
<script language="javascript"><![CDATA[
importClass( java.util.Vector );
vec = new Vector( project.getTargets().keySet() );
vec.setSize( vec.size( ) - 1 );
project.executeTargets( vec );
]]>
</script>
(The implicit target appears at the end of the list, hence the size adjustment to prevent recursion.)
If you put that script in a 'runner' target - which would execute all other targets in the buildfile - you would need to remove the 'runner' from the Vector (and the implicit target-with-no-name) to prevent recursion.
I use Ant to build my Android application. I want to be able to do this:
ant debug android-market; //build the debug version for android-market;
ant debug motorola-market; //Builds debug version for motorola-market;
ant release android-market; //etc.
Is there a way to detect that "android-market" parameter from within my custom ant debug/release task?
I would prefer not to use Dparam=value, since that is less clean looking.
This syntax is used to invoke multiple targets at once. So you could perhaps use
ant android-market debug
and make the android-market target set a property used in the debug target to identify which version to build:
<project basedir="." default="debug">
<target name="android-market">
<property name="market" value="android"/>
</target>
<target name="debug">
<echo message="debugging for the following market : ${market}"/>
</target>
</project>
> ant android-market debug
> android-market:
> debug:
> [echo] debugging for the following market : android
I would prefer not to use -Dparam=value, since that is less clean looking.
I think you should get over your preferences. But add a 'help' target that describes the parameters accepted by the other targets.
JB's answer totally worked but I wanted to find a way to have a default. I found an answer to that here by someone named Mike Schilling: http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t137033-is-it-possible-to-alter-ant-properties-after-theyve-been-initialized.html
So I ended up having something like this:
<project basedir="." default="debug">
<target name="set-defaults">
<property name="market" value="android"/>
</target>
<target name="motorola-market">
<property name="market" value="motorola/>
</target>
<target name="debug" depends="set-defaults">
<echo message="debugging for the following market : ${market}"/>
</target>
</project>
So you could do ant debug for android or ant motorola-market debug for motorola.