The question of adding scripting capability into 'core' Ant is something which has been discussed frequently. I would definitely check the archives for the pros/cons to the issue.
Personally, I don't think scripting belongs in Ant. I think what's needed is some sort of configure-like app/script/process which will build the necessary xml files for the make;make install. This process should wrap Ant's functionality since there is much to use there. josh marco struck wrote: > > Jason, > > I absolutely agree with you. ANT is very nice to handle classes, jars, zips, > cvs > and so on. > But that was just the first step. People have found with ANT an easy way to > handle their project structures. > > The first impression of ANT - also to me - is: ANT is the solution for all our > problems. > But the second one: We need more control (as Jason described). > > After some weeks of discussion about the introduction of ANT in my company, > we came to the issue, that we have to write own tasks to handle the > shortcomings > of ANT > ......but I think, that could not be the right way. > > A task should be a kind of component which encapsulate complex functionality > and should be uses as kind of black box in build files. > > I think: Scripting should be a core feature of ANT2. > > Jason Rosenberg wrote: > > > What I see as really great about Ant is that it provides > > a very clean, platform-independent framework for building > > platform-independent software. > > > > In addition to the obvious platform independent advantages > > of working with java type stuff, it also hides the details of > > dealing with file-system stuff, which is usually very platform > > specific. Issues such as checking relative time-stamps, > > and converting '\' to '/', etc. > > > > Also, it has a very clean target/dependency/task description > > frame work, which is nicely extensible and customizable. > > > > But it has some fundamental short-comings. I am formulating > > a more formal argument on this, which I will post later. > > > > Some key points: > > > > Ant is already a programming language; it gets interpreted > > directly by the virtual machine that is > > 'org.apache.tools.ant.Main.main'. > > > > It already includes fundamental programming constructs, such > > as variable declarations (e.g. <property>), conditional execution > > (e.g. <depends>,<if>,<unless>) and sub-routine calls (e.g. > > <antcall>,<ant>,<exec>). > > > > Those fundamental programming constructs have fundamental > > shortcomings, which severly limit one's ability to construct > > simple scripts which can be applied as a library of parameterized > > templates for doing a long list of similar tasks. > > > > There are some simple extensions to Ant which would rescue > > these short-comings. > > > > The <script> task is at best a hack. It dangerously exposes the > > externals of Ant (can access non-standard, non-user-mode > > methods, etc.). Its use requires an internal knowledge of Ant. It > > requires the installation and independent maintenance and > > monitoring of a bunch of other software components (bsf, rhino). > > > > Ant itself IS A SCRIPTING LANGUAGE already. Object-oriented > > zealotry can only take one so far. > > > > Jason > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "David Corbin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 9:37 AM > > Subject: Re: Fw: Problem using script task > > > > > Jason Rosenberg wrote: > > > > > > > So, probably, once I get to a point where I've got my preliminary > > > > build installation working, I'll make an effort to start writing > > > > some useful flow control tasks. I assume that wouldn't be > > > > too difficult. > > > > > > > > Or, are there philosophical objections to doing so. Simple > > > > things like loops and conditionals, etc. > > > > > > > > Jason > > > > > > > > > > I'm hardly and authority, but... > > > > > > What is that you want to do that you can't do with ant. Please give an > > > explicit example. It is my initial reaction that if you're going to > > > turn ant into another programming/scripting language, that is the wrong > > > path. > > > > > > -- > > > David Corbin > > > Mach Turtle Technologies, Inc. > > > http://www.machturtle.com > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- > mit freundlichen gr��en / best regards > marco struck > ---------------------------------------------------- > email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > public key: http://www.nexolution.de/keys/public/mstruck.asc > fingerprint: CC99 1171 0F0F E7F4 D649 D332 3C84 8C3C E80E 7EAA > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
