2009-09-27 10:59:48 +00:00
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<html>
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<head>
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheets/style.css">
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2010-11-11 17:04:16 +00:00
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<title>The Apache Ant frontend: ProjectHelper</title>
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2009-09-27 10:59:48 +00:00
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</head>
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<body>
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2010-11-11 17:04:16 +00:00
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<h1>The Apache Ant frontend: ProjectHelper</h1>
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2009-09-27 10:59:48 +00:00
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2018-02-08 22:52:33 +01:00
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<h2 id="definition">What is a ProjectHelper?</h2>
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<p>
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The <code>ProjectHelper</code> in Apache Ant is responsible for parsing the build file
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and creating Java instances representing the build workflow. It also signals which
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kind of file it can parse, and which file name it expects as default input file.
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</p>
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<p>
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Ant's default <code>ProjectHelper</code>
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(<code>org.apache.tools.ant.helper.ProjectHelper2</code>) parses the
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usual <code>build.xml</code> files. And if no build file is specified on the command
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line, it will expect to find a file named <code>build.xml</code>.
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</p>
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<p>
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The immediate benefit of a such abstraction it that it is possible to make Ant
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understand other kind of descriptive languages than XML. Some experiments have been
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done around a pure Java frontend, and a Groovy one too (ask the dev mailing list for
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further info about these).
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</p>
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2018-02-28 07:58:59 +01:00
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<p>
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<em>Since Ant 1.8.2</em>, the <a href="Tasks/import.html">import</a> task will also
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try to use the proper helper to parse the imported file. So it is possible to write
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different build files in different languages and have them import each other.
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</p>
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2018-02-08 22:52:33 +01:00
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<h2 id="repository">How is Ant is selecting the proper ProjectHelper</h2>
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<p>
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Ant knows about several implementations of <code>ProjectHelper</code> and has to
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decide which to use for each build file.
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</p>
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<p>
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At startup Ant lists the all implementations found and keeps them in the same order
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they've been found in an internal 'repository':
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>the first to be searched for is the one declared by the system property
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<code>org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper</code> (see
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<a href="running.html#sysprops">Java System Properties</a>);</li>
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<li>then it searches with its class loader for a <code>ProjectHelper</code>
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service declarations in the <samp>META-INF</samp>: it searches in the classpath for a
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file <samp>META-INF/services/org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper</samp>.
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This file will just contain the fully qualified name of the
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implementation of <code>ProjectHelper</code> to instantiate;</li>
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<li>it will also search with the system class loader for
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<code>ProjectHelper</code> service declarations in the <samp>META-INF</samp>;</li>
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<li>last but not least it will add its default <code>ProjectHelper</code>
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that can parse classical <samp>build.xml</samp> files.</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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In case of an error while trying to instantiate a <code>ProjectHelper</code>, Ant will
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log an error but won't stop. If you want further debugging info about
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the <code>ProjectHelper</code> internal 'repository', use the <strong>system</strong>
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property <code>ant.project-helper-repo.debug</code> and set it to <code>true</code>;
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the full stack trace will then also be printed.
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</p>
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<p>
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When Ant is expected to parse a file, it will ask the <code>ProjectHelper</code>
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repository to find an implementation that will be able to parse the input
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file. Actually it will just iterate over the ordered list and the first implementation
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that returns <code>true</code> to <code>supportsBuildFile(File buildFile)</code> will
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be selected.
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</p>
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<p>
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When Ant is started and no input file has been specified, it will search for a default
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input file. It will iterate over list of <code>ProjectHelper</code>s and will select
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the first one that expects a default file that actually exist.
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</p>
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2018-02-08 22:52:33 +01:00
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<h2 id="writing">Writing your own ProjectHelper</h2>
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<p>
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The class <code>org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper</code> is the API expected to be
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implemented. So write your own <code>ProjectHelper</code> by extending that abstract
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class. You are then expected to implement at least the function <code>parse(Project
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project, Object source)</code>. Note also that your implementation will be
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instantiated by Ant, and it is expecting a default constructor with no arguments.
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</p>
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<p>
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2018-02-28 07:58:59 +01:00
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There are some functions that will help you define what your helper is capable of and
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what is is expecting:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li><code>getDefaultBuildFile()</code>: defines which file name is expected if
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none provided</li>
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<li><code>supportsBuildFile(File buildFile)</code>: defines if your parser
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can parse the input file</li>
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<li><code>canParseAntlibDescriptor(URL url)</code>: whether your
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implementation is capable of parsing a given Antlib
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descriptor. The base class returns <code>false</code></li>
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<li><code>parseAntlibDescriptor(Project containingProject, URL
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source)</code>: invoked to actually parse the Antlib
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descriptor if your implementation returned <code>true</code>
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for the previous method.</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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2010-07-29 18:33:17 +00:00
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Now that you have your implementation ready, you have to declare it to Ant. Three
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solutions here:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>use the system property <code>org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper</code>
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(see also the <a href="running.html#sysprops">Java System Properties</a>);</li>
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<li>use the service file in <samp>META-INF</samp>: in the jar you will build with your
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implementation, add a file
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<samp>META-INF/services/org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectHelper</samp>.
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And then in this file just put the fully qualified name of your
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implementation</li>
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<li>use the <a href="Tasks/projecthelper.html">projecthelper</a> task (<em>since
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Ant 1.8.2</em>) which will install dynamically a helper in the internal helper
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'repository'. Then your helper can be used on the next call to the
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<a href="Tasks/import.html">import</a> task.</li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</html>
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