Is there a way to generalize an Apache ANT target?

java build-process build-automation ant
Outlaw Programmer picture Outlaw Programmer · Sep 8, 2008 · Viewed 13.5k times · Source

We have an Apache ANT script to build our application, then check in the resulting JAR file into version control (VSS in this case). However, now we have a change that requires us to build 2 JAR files for this project, then check both into VSS.

The current target that checks the original JAR file into VSS discovers the name of the JAR file through some property. Is there an easy way to "generalize" this target so that I can reuse it to check in a JAR file with any name? In a normal language this would obviously call for a function parameter but, to my knowledge, there really isn't an equivalent concept in ANT.

Answer

Vladimir picture Vladimir · Sep 15, 2008

I would suggest to work with macros over subant/antcall because the main advantage I found with macros is that you're in complete control over the properties that are passed to the macro (especially if you want to add new properties).

You simply refactor your Ant script starting with your target:

<target name="vss.check">
    <vssadd localpath="D:\build\build.00012.zip" 
        comment="Added by automatic build"/>
</target>

creating a macro (notice the copy/paste and replacement with the @{file}):

<macrodef name="private-vssadd">
    <attribute name="file"/>
    <sequential>
        <vssadd localpath="@{file}" 
            comment="Added by automatic build"/>
    </sequential>
</macrodef>

and invoke the macros with your files:

<target name="vss.check">
    <private-vssadd file="D:\build\File1.zip"/>
    <private-vssadd file="D:\build\File2.zip"/>
</target>

Refactoring, "the Ant way"

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