<propertyfile file="${build.dir}/MyProperties.properties">
<entry key="releaseInformation"
type="string"
value="${build.time}"/>
</propertyfile>
When Ant copies my properties file over to the bin directory there is a property in it that has something like "samplePathName=C\:\Users\SomeUser\". But the property from the original file was "samplePathName=C:\Users\SomeUser\". How would the additional backslash end up there? I don't see anything that could possibly cause this to happen. Where should I begin looking other than the build.xml which only contains (relevant) the above line?
This is a common problem - the format of property files is defined by Sun (Oracle). Ant is conforming to this, which is why the escaping happens. There's no way round this using the propertyfile task - that's the way it's intended to work. If the file is genuinely a Java property file, then it shouldn't matter - the escaping should be handled correctly when the file is read.
However if you are hoping to use propertyfile to write a name-value config file that's for something else - where the escaping is not wanted - you'll need to adopt a different approach. As mentioned in the answer to a related question - you might use the Ant replace or replaceregexp tasks for this.
Related
I have an Ant buildfile (build.xml) which is called by some application. I would like to know exactly what kind of properties are used to invoke Ant. Therefore I would like to modify the build.xml file to display all properties specified in the call, e.g.:
ant aTarget -Dxslt.parser=SAXON -Dbasedir=aFolder
would display list as below
- target: aTarget
- xslt.parser = SAXON
- basedir=aFolder
Please note that I do not know exactly what is being using to invoke Ant. Therefore, I need to use some sort of a loop get all properties, options.
The simplest thing that comes to mind is to place a line like:
<echo message="Ant invocation is '${sun.java.command}'" />
In the buildfile outside of any target. It'll look something like:
% ant aTarget -Dx=y
[echo] ant invocation is: 'org.apache.tools.ant.launch.Launcher -cp . aTarget -Dx=y'
It shows you what was passed to the Ant Launcher, which might will likely be a little more than what was passed to the ant wrapper script, but should do.
I would avoid trying to parse the line, as you say, you don't know what might be there, and it could quickly get complicated.
Take a look at the <echoproperties> task:
<property name="in.file.prop" value="value2"/>
<echoproperties/>
in.file.prop and its value will be printed. However, over 60 other properties will be printed as well including properties built into Ant.
You can save the results of <echoproperties> to a file and then filter that file with something like a <linecontains> filter.
I am reading a file in ant and loading the properties through loadproperties. I am interested in using the value of a specific property, whose name is not known. I know that it follows a pattern because that is how I load the property.
I can echoproperties and see that it is being loaded.
But I dont know how to access its value, given that its name is actually a pattern rather that hardcoded.
How can I access this property's value to do some processing.
I hope this is clear. Please ask if I need to clarify some more.
Take a look at ant-contrib package. Its propertycopy task will do what you need. If you need to resolve an arbitrary number of properties following an established pattern, you would use ant-contrib's propertycopy in conjunction with ant-contribs "for" task.
http://ant-contrib.sourceforge.net/tasks/tasks/index.html
You should use Ant's script task.
I suggest using the beanshell script since it is pure java.
For example, to print all properties for your project, use the following:
<target name="echoprops">
<script language="beanshell">
System.out.println("All Properties: " + project.getProperties().keySet());
</script>
</target>
It should be easy to modify the above script to get the property you want.
To use this task, you will need to run the following in $ANT_HOME first:
ant -f fetch.xml script -Ddest=user
That will download all required optional jars to ~/.ant/lib .
I want to know if it is possible to get an ant script to reference 2 different .properties files at once, and if so, how to accomplish this.
Assume that the properties contained within the two .properties files are mutually exclusive, i.e. the same property will not appear twice.
Thanks!
In addition to Ash answer.
You can use a different prefix attribute of property task, e.g
<property file="file1.properties" prefix="file1"/>
<property file="file2.properties" prefix="file2"/>
This way you can find out if both files have same properties and differentiate between them in your build script. For example if both files have property test, then after they are loaded with the above commands you will end up with properties named file1.test and file2.test.
You should be able to import any number of properties files with multiple <property file="..."> entries in your ant script (unless there's some subtlety to your question that I've missed?). Duplicate properties are OK, since in ant properties are immutable and whoever sets the property first "wins".
See http://ant.apache.org/manual/Tasks/property.html for more details.
I'm trying to use xmltask for ant to modify a file in a subdirectory:
project/path/to/file.xml
The file refers to a DTD like this:
<!DOCTYPE data SYSTEM "mydtd.dtd">
I don't have the flexibility to change these documents.
This DTD is stored in the same subdirectory, which has always worked fine:
project/path/to/mydtd.dtd
Unfortunately, xmltask is trying to locate the dtd in my project's top-level directory, which is where my build file is located, and where I run from:
[xmltask] java.io.FileNotFoundException: /home/me/project/mydtd.dtd (The system cannot find the file specified)
I see in the xmltask documentation that I can correct this with an xmlcatalog element to tell it where to look up the file. But I need to use a dtd element, and I can only find examples for this element, not documentation; the examples show only a publicId, and if I understand XML correctly this document does not have one. I shouldn't need to specify this, anyway, right, since my document already says my DTD is stored locally and shows right where it is?
Why isn't xmltask finding the DTD correctly? What's the best way to correct or work around this situation?
An XML Catalog is the way to go here, it just needs a bit more perseverance.
As you correctly pointed out, the standard Ant <XmlCatalog> type only allows you to specify public DTD references when using the inline syntax, which is of no use to you. However, <XmlCatalog> also lets you specify a standard OASIS-syntax catalog, which is far richer, including resolving SYSTEM DTD references.
An OASIS catalog (full spec here) looks like this:
<catalog xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:entity:xmlns:xml:catalog">
<system systemId="mydtd.dtd" uri="project/path/to/mydtd.dtd"/>
</catalog>
You can then reference this catalog from the <XmlCatalog>:
<xmlcatalog refid="commonDTDs"/>
<catalogpath>
<pathelement location="path/to/oasis.catalog"/>
</catalogpath>
</xmlcatalog>
And that's that. It's a good idea to build up a reusable OASIS catalog file, and refer to it from various XML-related Ant tasks, all of which can use <XmlCatalog>.
As an alternative, it looks like I can skip the whole validation by creating a blank file with the same name as the DVD file, and then deleting the file when I am done. Odds are I am going to go that route instead of using the catalog.
xmltask isn't finding it because it is looking in the current working directory. Ant allows you to specify a base directory using the basedir attribute of the <target> element. So I suggest you try this:
<target basedir="path/to" ...>
<xmltask...
</target>
It strikes me that it is not the XML/DTD that you really have the problem with, but getting xmltask to interact with the two of them as you want.
If that fails, you could use the Ant Copy task to copy the XML and DTD to the root folder before processing with xmltask, then copying back again.
Have you tried:
<!DOCTYPE data SYSTEM "./path/to/mydtd.dtd">
? Or an absolute path?
Also, you can find <dtd> description here.
I had a similar problem where an XML file had a doctype with SYSTEM reference that could not be changed.
<!DOCTYPE opencms SYSTEM "http://www.opencms.org/dtd/6.0/opencms-modules.dtd">
I first went down the road and created a catalog file with the OASIS catalog as described above, but to be able to use external catalogs I had to include the Apache Commons Resolver 1.1 (resolver.jar) in the Ant classpath (see http://ant.apache.org/manual/Types/xmlcatalog.html).
Because I had multiple machines on which this build was supposed to run this seemed overkill, especially since xmltask worked fine if I just removed the doctype definition. I wasn't allowed to remove it permanently because the doctype was needed elsewhere.
Ultimately I used this workaround: I commented out the doctype definition using Ant's replace task, ran the xmltask, and then put the doctype back into the file.
<replace file="myxmlfile.xml">
<replacetoken><!DOCTYPE opencms SYSTEM "http://www.opencms.org/dtd/6.0/opencms-modules.dtd"></replacetoken>
<replacevalue><!-- !DOCTYPE opencms SYSTEM "http://www.opencms.org/dtd/6.0/opencms-modules.dtd" --></replacevalue>
</replace>
<xmltask .../>
<replace file="${local.opencms.webapp.webinf}/config/opencms-modules.xml">
<replacetoken><!-- !DOCTYPE opencms SYSTEM "http://www.opencms.org/dtd/6.0/opencms-modules.dtd" --></replacetoken>
<replacevalue><!DOCTYPE opencms SYSTEM "http://www.opencms.org/dtd/6.0/opencms-modules.dtd"></replacevalue>
</replace>
I'm currently working with some developers who like to set up Ant tasks that define environment specific variables rather than using properties files. It seems they prefer to do this because it's easier to type:
ant <environment task> dist
Than it is to type:
ant -propertyfile <environment property file> dist
So for example:
<project name="whatever" default="dist">
<target name="local">
<property name="webXml" value="WebContent/WEB-INF/web-local.xml"/>
</target>
<target name="remote">
<property name="webXml" value="WebContent/WEB-INF/web-remote.xml"/>
</target>
<target name="build">
<!-- build tasks here --->
</target>
<target name="dist" depends="build">
<war destfile="/dist/foo.war" webxml="${webXml}">
<!-- rest of war tasks here -->
</war>
</target>
I am finding it hard to convince them that properties files are they right way to go. I believe properties files are better because:
They provides more flexibility - if you need a new environment just add a new properties file
It's clearer what's going on - You have to know about this little "trick" to realize what they're accomplishing
Doesn't provide default values and the ability to use overrides - if they used property files they could provide defaults at the top of the project but have the ability to override them with a file
Script won't break if an environment task isn't supplied on command line
Of course all they hear is that they need to change their Ant script and have to type more on the command line.
Can you provide any additional arguments in favor of properties files over "property tasks"?
Properties tasks tightly couple the build file to environments. If your fellow developers are arguing that they "have to change their ant script" with your suggestions, why aren't they arguing about changing it every time they have to deploy to a new environment? :)
Perhaps you can convince them to allow both properties file and command-line configuration. I set up my Ant builds so that if a build.properties exists in the same directory as the build.xml, it reads it in. Otherwise it uses a set of default properties hard-coded into the build. This is very flexible.
<project name="example">
<property file="build.properties"/>
<property name="foo.property" value="foo"/>
<property name="bar.property" value="bar"/>
...
</project>
I don't provide a build.properties with the project (i.e. build.properties is not versioned in SCM). This way developers aren't forced to use the property file. I do provide a build.properties.example file that developers can reference.
Since Ant properties, once set, are immutable, the build file will use properties defined in this order:
Properties provided with -D or -propertyfile via the command line
Properties loaded from build.properties
Default properties within build.xml
Advantages of this approach:
The build file is smaller and therefore more maintainable, less bug-prone
Developers that just can't get away from setting properties at the command line can still use them.
Properties files can be used, but aren't required
The arguments you have are already pretty compelling. If those arguments haven't worked, then arguing isn't going to solve the problem. In fact, nothing is going to solve the problem. Don't assume that people are rational and will do the most practical thing. Their egos are involved.
Stop arguing. Even if you win, the resentment and irritation you create will not be worth it. Winning an argument can be worse than losing.
Make your case, then let it go. It's possible that after a while they will decide to switch to your way (because it actually is better). If that happens, they will act like it was their own idea. There will be no mention of your having proposed it.
On the other hand, they may never switch.
The only solution is to work towards a position of authority, where you can say how things are to be done.
The problem with the first solution (using ant property) is basically hardcoding.
It can be convenient when you start a project for yourself but quickly you have to remove that bad habit.
I'm using a property file close to what said robhruska except that I have committed the build.properties file directly. This way you have a default one.
In other hand, I understand I could add those default values in the build.xml. (I will probably try that in the next hours/days ;-) ).
Anyway, I really don't like the first approach and I would force those guys to follow the second one ...