I have a common problem and there are probably countless ways to solve it. I'm looking for an elegant, simple solution to this typical scenario:
I have a project in Eclipse with an Ant build file (build.xml) the build file uses a property file (build.properties). In that property file, I want to set a property that points to the root directory of the eclipse project such as:
project.root = /path/to/eclipse/workspace/projectName
or preferably:
project.root = ${path.to.eclipse.workspace}/projectName
How do I do this in such a way that:
Works on different machines with different paths to the project root (i.e. in a team environment)
Allows the ant build.xml file to be executed inside eclipse
Allows the ant build.xml file to be executed outside of eclipse (i.e. from command line)
Allows the build.properties file to exist in a directory other than the project root
See Window -> Preferences -> Ant -> Runtime -> Properties to define custom ant properties that should be available to any ant script invoked from Eclipse. The simply set the same property manually when invoking script from command-line.
Your build.properties file can exist wherever you like. Use normal Ant facilities to import it into your script.
I think what I'm looking for is to add the following to the build.properties file:
project.root = ${basedir}
alternatively, I can just use the basedir property whenever project.root is needed.
I happened to be looking at the source code for ivy.properties and I saw the basedir property being used. I just tested and verified that this property works on different machines both from inside eclipse and from the command line as well as when making a call to ant from a different directory such as:
ant -f /path/to/eclipse/workspace/projectName/build.xml
When I get a minute, I will verify that this also works when importing the property file in different locations (such as inside src/main/resources/config/ivy/ivysettings.xml).
For my project archieve.
ProjectName <dir>
|_ ant <dir>
|_ ant.xml
Your case can just simply change the ant xml file, the <project default="main" basedir="../"/>
Then I can get the project root using variable of
e.g. <echo message= "Project Root: ${basedir}" />
if you need more than the trivial basedir stuff =
Ant4Eclipse - a bunch of ant tasks for access to eclipse configurations from within ant - may help you. Just use it as is or grep the code and pick the relevant parts..
You can set eclipse relative properties for your ANT Build from eclipse
Go to your ANT Builder properties and in arguments section you can set properties using -D as below
-Dworkspace="${workspace_loc}" -Dproject_dir="${project_loc}"
(here workspace_loc and project_loc are eclipse variables). These properties can be accessed in your ANT build script like regular properties, for example:
<echo message="${workspace}" />
<echo message="${project_dir}" />
Related
This question has been covered here before, but the only solutions I could find were in relation to a project using Ant or Maven. I am using neither. Here is the situation:
I have some application parameters in a properties file. This file is located in my Eclipse project (but in the src folder) and used when I run the application from Eclipse. In addition, I would like the application to also run as an executable jar file, in which case the user can provide the name of a properties file to use in a command line parameters.
The problem now is that the properties file from the project is always packaged into the executable jar and therefore the user is not able to easily modify the properties (yes, I know that (s)he could unzip the jar, but I want to avoid the extra steps).
How can I prevent the properties from being packages into the executable jar file?
Cheers,
Martin
Create a executable jar without properties file in it. Place both jar and properties file in a folder. Now add little code in your main program which should look for a properties file in the same folder and get the complete path of it. And then you can do something like this
System.getProperties().load(new FileInputStream(completepath));
So now your properties will be loaded into system properties with out affecting the actual system properties. You can access your properties by System.getProperty("Propertyname");
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
Windows 7 Professional
Eclipse 3.7.2
I am migrating over to Eclipse from another IDE. I am compiling my project with the same ANT build.xml file I was using before. I do it by
highlighting my project in the project view
expanding the tree node
finding my build.xml file there
right clicking my build.xml file
choosing Run as > Ant Build
Works great, but every few builds Eclpise eats my log4j.properties file located at:
C:\AllProjects\Workspace\acme\war\WEB-INF\classes\log4j.properties
Eclipse basically eats all files in WEB-INF\classes that are not *.class files.
What am I doing to make this happen and how can I stop it?
Thanks
Since you're using ant instead of Eclipse to build, you could try turning off the setting to build the project automatically.
Select your project, then in the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Project and uncheck the Build Automatically option.
Edit: Second opinion
I would add an ant task to copy the log4j property file into your WEB-INF/classes folder every time you do a build. One nice advantage of this is that you can have a different property file for different build types (debug, release, etc.) and not worry about manually making changes to it. Also, this should make it easier to manage if you're using version control.
Copy your log4j.properties file to your source directory and add something like this to your ant build file:
<target name="copy-log4j-property-file">
<copy file="src/log4j.properties" todir="WEB-INF/classes" />
</target>
<target name="build" depends="copy-log4j-property-file">
<!-- the rest of your build things here -->
</target>
After selecting in Project explorer:
Properties > Java Compiler > Building > Output Folder
Uncheck "Scrub output folders when cleaning projects"
It is a solution for me ( though maybe not everyone ) because I use a time test ANT build.xml to do my compiling, building and cleaning for me. I just leave Eclipse's auto builds on so I get those nice error notifications as a I type, before I compile.
I have a project that contains xml files. I also have an Ant build in that project to generate documentation based on the xml files. The Ant build calls a Ruby script for generation.
I would like a way run that Ant build after the modification of any resource in the "{project}/xml" folder. I know that I can right click on the build.xml and Run As->Ant Build, but I want it to be more like the incremental build for Java projects. I have tried creating a builder, importing the Ant build and setting up relevant resources, but when I make a change to the XML file, a build does not start. I have "Build Automatically" checked for the project as well.
This must be possible. What am I missing?
A custom builder will only run when a file is saved that is in a source directory. Make sure the /xml folder is included as a source location in the Project Properties, Java Build Path.
I am developing JSR 268 compliant portlet and utility with eclipse.
Now, the utility is designed to be a separate JAR from the portlet itself.
Does anyone now how to write an ant build.xml that will
1. Compile and JAR my utility class
2. Move the JAR to the ./lib folder of the portlet
3. Compile and maybe even delpoy the portlet to a tomcat running on localhost?
My biggest problem right now are the build-time dependencies. I dont want to hardcode all the folders as I share this project with two other developers which are on another platform.
Is it possible to reuse the buildpath from eclipse?
Thank you in advance,
Felipe
Does this wizard help
Rigth-click on project -> Export ... -> Ant buildfiles.
?
Though you probably have figured something out by now, for future references I would suggest taking a look at Eclipse's ability to use Ant files as project builders.
An advantage of this is, that will happen automatically as you build and since you only pack and copy the jar file, you don't have to worry about changes in e.g. the class paths, as you would in the two previous answers
Create a ant file that jar the utility project. Follow: [1]
Add it as a ant-builder to your utility project as described in [1]
Now Eclipse will automatically generate the jar file every time you build.
Extend the ant script to also copy to jar file to the lib dir.
Eclipse have ant task to convert workspace/project relative paths to
normal file paths. See [2]. Note that for those tasks to work, you must select ''Run is the same JRE as the workspace'' under the ''JRE'' tab when configuring the ant builder
In order to ensure your utility is build first add a project reference from your portlet to your utility project right click > properties > project references
When you build the following will now happen:
You utility project will build first, because of the project reference
The ant-builder will pack the jar, and copy it to the lib folder.
You portlet project will build using the new jar.
[1] http://help.eclipse.org/juno/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.platform.doc.user%2FgettingStarted%2Fqs-92_project_builders.htm
[2] http://help.eclipse.org/galileo/index.jsp?topic=/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/guide/ant_eclipse_tasks.htm
For 1. Just use the and Ant tasks
For 2. Is it on a remote server? How do you get it there? Windows share?
For 3. Set up the Tomcat manager and then use Tomcat's deploy/undeploy Ant tasks:
http://blog.techstacks.com/2009/05/tomcat-management-setting-up-tomcat.html
<taskdef name="deploy" classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.DeployTask" />
<taskdef name="undeploy" classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.UndeployTask" />
If you want to avoid hard-coding paths, try to use relative paths. Where are you dependencies right now? What do you feel you may have to specify an absolute path for?
In Eclipse,
Goto Window->preference->Ant->Runtime->Classpath->ant Home
Then add what are the thing u need to add,atlast click ok button to create ant file.
I'm using NB6.7 to auto generate an executable jar file for my project, how and where to tell NB to include a certain resource into the result jar file ? I know if I put the resource in the "lib" directory, NB will put it into "dist/lib/", but what I want is to include the resource within the final executable jar, where in NB do I specify that ?
Frank
There is a way to add arbitrary file/folders to arbitrary location within the jar, without setting up source folders.
NetBeans will, by default, create build.xml at project root.
We can override the -pre-jar target to copy the files and -post-jar target to cleanup.
For example, to copy "res/resource.ext" into "myres/resource.ext" within the jar, add these target to build.xml:
<target name="-pre-jar">
<!-- Single file -->
<copy file="res/resoure.ext" todir="${build.dir}/classes/myres" />
<!-- Folder(s) -->
<copy todir="${build.dir}/classes/myres"><fileset dir="res"/></copy>
</target>
<target name="-post-jar">
<delete dir="${build.dir}/classes/myres/resource.ext" />
<delete dir="${build.dir}/classes/myres"/>
</target>
Since this is Ant, you have great control.
You can rename file, replace file content (e.g. update version or timestamp), convert charset, or run other operations that is not possible with simple inclusion.
I am using NetBeans version 8, but as long as the project is compatible it is likely to work.
Alternatively, use an automated project such as Maven or Gradle, that gives you even more control on the build process, at cost of IDE features such as automatic single file recompile.
I got it : put the resource file in the src dir.
you can do it by...
Go to your project name which is normally on the left hand side of the screen.
Whatever your project name is,
you have to right click on it and then go to the properties of that. [which is normally at the end in menu item]
Then one window will open in that go to the Libraries.
In that you will find
1)ADD PROJECT
2)ADD Libraries
3)ADD JAR FILE
then include the jar / Libraries / folder.
so that will add automatically to your project.
Which will include in lib folder automatically so you don't have to include always.
Hope this help you,