Ant build consoles get clobbered by dependent projects in Eclipse - eclipse

I have a set of dependent projects in Eclipse, each with its own Ant build script. If I make a change in multiple projects, then select "Build All" (Ctrl+B), each Ant build is invoked in the correct order. But if there is an error in one project, Eclipse still tries to build the other projects also, and in the process clobbers the Ant console so that the build errors are no longer visible. This wouldn't be quite so annoying if I could open up the offending project and select "Build Project", but Eclipse out-smarts me: it won't rebuild until I open some file in the project, edit it, and save (typically I add and remove a space character wherever my cursor happens to be). An answer to any of the following questions would be welcome.
How can I configure Eclipse to (in preference order):
terminate a "Build All" as soon as any project's Ant build fails?
save all console output for "Build All" instead of resetting the console for each project?
spawn a separate console for each new instance of Ant?
allow me to force a "Build Project" even if it doesn't think anything has changed?
[UPDATE] Bonus Question:
How can I configure Eclipse so that fixing any build errors in a depended-on project counts as a "change" for the purposes of "Build Project"?

Have you tried redirecting standard out to file via a run configuration? A few screen shots to help if not... (you may try 'append' this is not in my screen shot :) )

One alternative is to have each Ant build log itself, e.g., using the following in build.xml
<record name="build.log"
loglevel="verbose"
append="false" />
Oddly, Eclipse seems to disable this logging somehow when running an Ant build.

I am not too big on ant, but can't you make the builds dependent on one another?

Related

How to automatically update Targets for an Ant build via Eclipse with new run configurations

We are creating some JUnit tests as part of QA development. So we are doing this daily and while running individual tests, or part of a package, they do appear under the Run arrow:
they do not appear in the Ant build Targets:
Well.. you can see that the Schedules_Load appears but that's because I have exported the Ant build again.
Note that even if I create Run configurations using the Eclipse menu:
It still doesn't update my Ant Targets list..
Under the menu item Project I do have Build automatically checked but don't think it makes any difference anyway, just thought I would mention it.
So is there any way to automatically update Ant targets with new run configurations without having to export the Ant build again?
Thanks.
try selecting the check-box: "Refresh automatically".
Window->Preferences->General->Workspace->"Refresh automatically"
(source: avajava.com)

Why does CDT rebuild my C-project on Ant build in unrelated project?

I have an Eclipse workspace where a CDT project lives together with other unrelated projects. However, when I run "build as Ant build" in one of those projects, CDT insists on rebuilding its projects too.
Anyone have any ideas where to look to disconnect this "hidden" dependency? (And no, it's not in the "Linked Resources" or the "Project References"...)
The workspace wide build was actually caused by me failing to find the option for the build in "External Tools Configurations". There you can specify to build the whole workspace, the containing project, or some specific resource.
There is also an Eclipse bug for setting the default to something different than to build the whole workspace. (One could think that "Run as Ant build" would default to not build anything except running the specified Ant target.)
Project builders are run at the request of some build trigger. This might be resource changes (when you have build automatically enabled) or it could be the build action you're using: "build as Ant build". The build action may be inadvertently requesting a build of the whole workspace.
Put the following in a text file:
# Eclipse build
org.eclipse.core.resources/debug=true
org.eclipse.core.resources/build/interrupt=true
org.eclipse.core.resources/build/invoking=true
org.eclipse.core.resources/build/needbuild=true
#Managedbuild
org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core/debug/builder=true
org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core/debug=true
org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core/debug/pathEntryInit=false
org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core/debug/pathEntry=false
And run Eclipse with the additional switches:
-debug <trace_options>.file
This will echo trace prints to the shell in which you started Eclipse. You can use this to better target the bug report you'll no doubt file :)
Try to uncheck the Build Automatically checkbox, under Project menu.

Eclipse "Waiting for virtual machine to exit"

I'm working on a blackberry project using eclipse and bb-ant tools. I've created a build.xml file to perform the build. Everytime I try to run an Ant build, eclipse pops up the progress dialog and it hangs stating "Waiting for virtual machine to exit."
I downloaded an open source Blackberry project that has an ant build and it is showing the same behavior.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Edit:
I used the command line to build my xml file and it built fine. However, when I tried from Eclipse it still hangs.
I've tried both the standard eclipse plugin directory and the path I downloaded ant to.
You could check if your ANT_HOME settings are correct (see also this blog post).
"Window > Preference > Ant > Runtime": "Ant Home Entries".
if the jars files are from a plugin directory (beside the default 'org.apache.ant_1.7.1.v20090120-1145' one) and not an independent ant installation, that might explain the problem.
Try clicking the "Ant Home" button on the right side and setting up ant home such as "C:\path\to\apache-ant-1.7.0"
There are similar bugs to this kind of situation (bug 173419, ticket 91).
It is worth checking the JVM used for the project.
It can also occurs when a ant task is poorly implemented.
You had the problem because the java version ant tries to run with is incorrect.
By default, eclipse will try to run the ant build with the java version it uses to compile the java files (Blackberry JRE), which won't work! You need to change the jre version by choosing "Run As... > Ant build". Before clicking run, go to the JRE tab, choose "Separate JRE:" and change "Blackberry JRE " to a standard java JRE. Press the run button and everything should work correctly.
I hit this problem also. Although I never used the same solution, you pointed me in the same direction.
I was using a ant file as a builder in my project, and I disabled the Allocate Console build option. This is when I hit the 'Waiting for virtual machine to exit'.
So I simply enabled the Launch in background option and it worked.

Ant build won't run in Eclipse

I have an Ant build.xml which no longer runs when launched in Eclipse.
I click on the External Tools Configuration, select the Ant Build I've been running, and click Run.
Nothing happens -- no console window and the build doesn't appear to launch (the classes are not compile nor is the WAR file created).
I recently added a plugin (Spring IDE), this is the only thing I can think of that has changed recently as far as my Eclipse configuration.
I can run the Ant build fine from the command line.
Can anyone suggest where I might look to track down my error?
I'm using the Eclipse Helios release, Build id: 20100617-1415 on Windows XP.
As per pstanton's comment this symptom will occur if your ANT_HOME folder is not correctly defined in Eclipse. Eclipse seems to ignore the ANT_HOME system property.
window->preferences->ant->runtime->Classpath Tab
I faced same problem today , reason behind this was ANT_HOME path variable explained in other answers also.
Initially I added ANT_HOME at 2 places given below and it was not working.
window->preferences->ant->runtime->properties Tab
window->preferences->ant->runtime->Classpath Tab
But when I remove Classpath tab ant home entry ( by setting it to default using Restore default option on right bottom of preferences window ) it worked :). So far it is just a surprise for me because I added same ant home path at both the places.
You can check out the example in this Apache Ant tutorial.
But you can also try to run your same build.xml ant files through a Java Launcher, with org.apache.tools.ant.Main as the Main class.
That would at least prove your scripts are working in an Eclipse environment.
When you look at the Ant FAQ, you also see:
I installed Ant 1.6.x and now get java.lang.InstantiationException: org.apache.tools.ant.Main
The cause of this is that there is an old version of ant somewhere in the class path or configuration.
Maybe your error message is somehow hidden, but it can be worth checking your classpath and see if no other ant library is there.

Ant build scripts totally hangs, with no messages in console

I have build.xml for my project, but even this small piece of code
<target name="init">
<tstamp/>
<!-- Create the build directory structure used by compile -->
<mkdir dir="${build}"/>
</target>
It doesn't run
Console is empty but process is active. I still can terminate it over STOP button
In same time I cannot debug it as well, same stuff active process no output in console and I can wait forever! Any ideas?
JDK 1.6.0_14
Eclipse 3.5.1
Edited: Thank to Peter's Loron question I checked workspace log file MyWorkspace/.metadata/.log
There I saw error message I googled it and found that this happening because location of my Eclipse changed, but path to ANT jars remains old.
TO Fix that you have to go Preferences->Ant->Runtime and click Restore Default it will pickup new jar location and warn you about absence of tools.jar, copy it from somewhere and drop it in same folder where other ant jars.
Edited: Thank to Peter's Loron question I checked workspace log file MyWorkspace/.metadata/.log There I saw error message I googled it and found that this happening because location of my Eclipse changed, but path to ANT jars remains old.
TO Fix that you have to go Preferences->Ant->Runtime and click Restore Default it will pickup new jar location and warn you about absence of tools.jar, copy it from somewhere and drop it in same folder where other ant jars.
Here is yet another possible fix:
Go to Preferences->Ant->Runtime
Classpath tab
Click Restore Defaults button.
That happened to fix the issue for me.
I'm using IBM RAD7 (which is based on Eclipse) and I was having exactly the same problem. After much fiddling I went to "External Tools" | JRE Tab | select "Run in same JRE", mine was set yo use the Webpshere JRE. Took a day to fix it! Nigel
Another quick thing to look for... Check your VM memory specs... I was messing around with low memory settings and it caused the same issues as above...
If you are running the script using "External Tools Configuration" you should also check the following:
Open "External Tools Configuration" and select the launcher that starts the Ant script. In the tab "Common" make sure that "Allocate console (necessary for input)" is checked!
In my case it was not checked and was the reason why no console output was visible.