ant large project. How to enforce common output directory structure - include,import and inhertAll=false?

Question

I have a toplevel ant project and many subprojects under it.

./build.xml
./datamodel_src/src/build.xml
./datamodel_src/src/module1/build.xml
./datamodel_src/src/module2/build.xml
./infrastructure_src/src/build.xml
./interfaces_src/src/build.xml

Each of the subproject, I want to enforce a common output directory structure. Project will have a work area and each sub project will have its own work area under it. Each subproject should create its artifacts (lib, docs, classes etc) under a work area for the subproject.

So the output would be some thing like

c:/sandbox/mainprojectworkarea/subprojectworkarea/lib
c:/sandbox/mainprojectworkarea/subprojectworkarea/docs
c:/sandbox/mainprojectworkarea/subprojectworkarea/classes

Currently I do this as follows.

The toplevel build.xml is like below

<project name="toplevelproject" default="compile" basedir=".">
    <target name="compile">
        <ant dir="infrastructure_src/src" />
        <ant dir="interfaces_src/src " /> <!--does not work-->
        <ant dir="datamodel_src/src inhertAll=false" /> <!--works-->
    </target>
</project>

common.xml is like below

<property environment="env" />
<property name="project.sandbox" value="${env.BUILD_HOME}/sandbox" />
<property name="sandbox"  value="${project.sandbox}" />
<property name="pwa"  value="${sandbox}/pwa" />
<property name="wa"  value="${pwa}/${ant.project.name}" />
<property name="build"  value="${wa}/build" />
<property name="lib"  value="${wa}/lib" />
<property name="docs"  value="${wa}/docs" />
<property name="exports"  value="${wa}/exports" />

This is "included" into all projects. For example "datamodel_src/src/build.xml" is like below

<!DOCTYPE project [
       <!ENTITY common SYSTEM "../../common.xml">
]>

<project name="dmodel" default="compile" basedir=".">
    &common;
    <target name="compile">
        <echo  message="will create lib  in  ${lib}"/>
        <echo  message="will create docs  in  ${docs}"/>
        <ant dir="module1" inheritAll="false"/> <!--works fine-->
        <ant dir="module2" /> <!--does not work -->
    </target>   
</project>

This works when I set inhertiAll=false for ant calls.

Is there a better and correct way to?

Expanding answer from Kevin to this question. Using import the common.xml becomes a real project like below

<project name="toplevelproject" default="compile" basedir=".">
    <property name="toplevel" value="settotrue"/>
    <target name="compile">
        <ant dir="infrastructure_src/src" />
        <ant dir="interfaces_src/src" />
        <ant dir="datamodel_src/src" />
    </target>
</project>

The "datamodel_src/src/build.xml" is now some think like below.

<project name="dmodel" default="compile" basedir=".">
    <import file="../../common.xml" />
    <target name="compile">
        <echo  message="will create classes in  ${build}"/>
        <echo  message="will create lib  in  ${lib}"/>
        <ant dir="module1" inheritAll="false"/> <!--works fine-->
        <ant dir="module2" /> <!--does not work -->
    </target>
</project>

The import gives option to have common targets etc, hence I would go with it.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 19 '11 at 09:02

1

I'm doing something similar using imports rather than includes. All my common targets and properties are defined in a common build file and each subproject just imports the common file. When you import a file, the properties defined in that file become relative to the importing file.

So I would try doing the following:

Move your compile target from your subproject build files into your common.xml.
Import your common.xml into each subproject build.xml.

answered Feb 19 '11 at 09:02

KevinS

7,715
4
38
56

Thanks. In any case "inheritAll" must be false. Is that correct? – Jayan Feb 19 '11 at 16:31
1

inheritAll is taken out of the equation because you don't have any properties in your top-level build file that need to be visible to the subprojects. The subprojects now get all their properties by importing the common.xml. The module1 and module2 build files should also be importing the common.xml. – KevinS Feb 19 '11 at 17:05

ant large project. How to enforce common output directory structure - include,import and inhertAll=false?

1 Answers1