Ant: conditional execution in macrodef

Question

I've created a macro to compile .swf from .as sources (Flash projects) :

<macrodef name="compile">
  <sequential>
    <mxmlc file="@{input}" output="@{output}"/>
  </sequential>
</macrodef>

Once created, I call it in my build.xml :

<target name="compile.app1">
  <compile input="App1.as" output="app1.swf"/>
</target>

To avoid compiling my App1 each time, I've added the task <uptodate> in <compile> :

<macrodef name="compile">
  <sequential>
    <uptodate property="swf.uptodate" targetfile="@{output}">
      <srcfiles dir="@{src}" includes="**/*.as"/>
    </uptodate>
    <mxmlc file="@{input}" output="@{output}"/>
  </sequential>
</macrodef>

But at this point, I don't know how I can bind the swf.uptodate property with the mxmlc task. Here is what I would like to do :

IF NOT swf.uptodate
  EXECUTE mxmlc
ELSE
  do nothing.

Rebse · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-31T10:47:47.467

No need for antcontrib, with ant >= 1.9.1 use the new if/unless feature introduced with Ant 1.9.1 (better use Ant 1.9.3 because of bugs in Ant 1.9.1 see this answer for details)
To activate that feature you need the namespace declarations, as seen in the following snippet :

<project 
  xmlns:if="ant:if"
  xmlns:unless="ant:unless"
>
<macrodef name="compile">
  <sequential>
    <uptodate property="swf.uptodate" targetfile="@{output}">
      <srcfiles dir="@{src}" includes="**/*.as"/>
    </uptodate>
    <mxmlc file="@{input}" output="@{output}" unless:true="${swf.uptodate}"/>/>
  </sequential>
</macrodef>
</project>

Otherwise when using ant <= 1.9.1 you may use script task with builtin javascript engine, if you want to avoid using ant addons like antcontrib.

Ant: conditional execution in macrodef

1 Answers1