Ant
(Free Web Tutorials)

by Michael Thomas

Apache Ant is a Java-based build tool. Since it is Java-based, this build tool is designed to work across multiple OS platforms.  Configuration files are XML based.  If you execute a shell based command it will execute based on the OS.

( Home Page: Free Web Tutorials on Java & Web Technologies )

Free Download

• Download - a zip file of the website pertaining to this topic (all content, tutorials, examples, etc...).  Great resource!!!  Work offline!!!

Free Web Tutorials

• Ant Installation - steps to install and test Ant.

• Ant First Steps - Hello World Tutorial  - create your first Ant build.

• Ant Command Line Help - a quick reference for the command: ant -help

• Topics for future Ant Tutorials:

  • Ant & XDoclet - use both to create/maintain your web.xml file with small doc comment changes to your .java files.

  • Ant & log4j (maybe others)

  • Ant & JUnit

  • Ant & Eclipse

  • Ant & Tomcat (.war & .ear files)

  • Ant & Struts

  • Ant & JavaDocs

  • Ant & Logging

  • Ant & JBoss

  • Ant & CVS

  • Ant & Mail

  • Ant & SQL Execution

  • Ant & FTP

  • Ant & EJB

  • Ant & RMI

  • Ant & Swing based programs (ie: JBuilder)

Apache's Resources

• Ant Home Page - Ant's home page for downloads, docs, etc...
  http://ant.apache.org/index.html (online)
  C:\ant\apache-ant-1.7.0\docs\index.html (local if Ant 1.7.0 is installed)
• Ant Manual - content for "installing", "Tutorials" and other items.
  http://ant.apache.org/manual/index.html (online)
  C:\ant\apache-ant-1.7.0\docs\manual\index.html (local if Ant 1.7.0 is installed)
• Ant Tutorial - Hello World Tutorial by Apache
  http://ant.apache.org/manual/tutorial-HelloWorldWithAnt.html - Hello World Tutorial
  C:\ant\apache-ant-1.7.0\docs\manual\tutorial-HelloWorldWithAnt.html - (local if Ant 1.7.0 is installed)

Book Resources

• Ant (The Definitive Guide) - by Jesse Tilly and Eric M Burke, published by O'Reilly - http://www.oreilly.com .