Ant: The Definitive Guide

Buildfile Outline

Shown next is a generic buildfile good for using as a template. A buildfile consists of the <project> element with its nested <target>, <property>, and <path> elements.

<project default="all">
  <property name="a.property" value="a value"/>
  <property name="b.property" value="b value"/>

  <path id="a.path">
    <pathelement location="${java.home}/jre/lib/rt.jar"/>
  </path>

  <target name="all">
    <javac srcdir=".">
      <classpath refid="a.path"/>
    </javac>
  </target>
</project>

Some notes about buildfiles to remember:

• All buildfiles require the <project> element and at least one <target> element.

• There is no default value for the <project> element’s default attribute.

• Buildfiles do not have to be named build.xml. However, build.xml is the default name for which Ant searches.

• You can have only one <project> element per buildfile.