Show List
Tutorials > Ant > Ant Tasks

Ant Tasks

In Ant, tasks are individual units of work that can be executed as part of a target. Ant provides a large number of built-in tasks that can be used for common build-related tasks, such as compiling code, copying files, creating archives, and executing external processes. Here are some examples of Ant tasks:

  • javac - Compiles Java source files
php
Copy code
<javac srcdir="src" destdir="build/classes"/>

This task compiles Java source files located in the "src" directory and places the compiled class files in the "build/classes" directory.

  • copy - Copies files
php
Copy code
<copy todir="dist">
  <fileset dir="src"/>
</copy>

This task copies files from the "src" directory to the "dist" directory.

  • jar - Creates a JAR file
php
Copy code
<jar destfile="dist/MyProject.jar" basedir="build/classes">
  <manifest>
    <attribute name="Main-Class" value="com.example.MyProject"/>
  </manifest>
</jar>

This task creates a JAR file named "MyProject.jar" in the "dist" directory using the class files located in the "build/classes" directory. The "Main-Class" attribute is set to specify the main class of the JAR file.

  • exec - Executes an external process
php
Copy code
<exec executable="java">
  <arg value="-jar"/>
  <arg value="MyProject.jar"/>
</exec>

This task executes the Java executable with the argument "-jar MyProject.jar".

To use a task in an Ant build file, you need to specify the task using the appropriate XML element and provide any required attributes and nested elements. You can also define your own custom tasks in Ant by implementing a Java class that extends the org.apache.tools.ant.Task class.




Next: Ant Properties

    Leave a Comment

  • captcha text