Ant build fail, sometimes 'cause ant forgets property

[Azriel Abramovich]

Hi

I am getting the following build error, sometimes.

BUILD FAILED
C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\build.xml:55: C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\${lib.dir} not found.

Here is the build.properties file:

src.dir=./src
build.dir=./bin
lib.dir=./lib

I've added some output to check that I am not drunk

compile:
     [echo] [compile] compiling sources with lib ./lib to ./bin source dir C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting
    [javac] Compiling 42 source files to C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\bin

This is the whole task

	<target name="compile" depends="properties, create.build.dir, xmlmapping.jar.import" description="Perfom compilation">
		<!-- Compile the java code -->
		<echo message="[compile] compiling sources with lib ${lib.dir} to ${build.dir} source dir ${basedir}" />
		<javac srcdir="${src.dir}" destdir="${build.dir}" listfiles="no" debug="true" classpathref="build.classpath" fork="true" memoryInitialSize="128m" memoryMaximumSize="512m" />
		<antcall target="backup" />
	</target>

Which I hope proves that I am not completely drunk.

What is my build.classpath? here:

<path id="build.classpath">
		<fileset dir="${lib.dir}">
			<include name="**/*.jar" />
		</fileset>
		<pathelement path="${build.dir}" />
	</path>

And the thing is... it works sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't.
I am running this through eclipse.

What am I missing?

[Peter Johnson]

Exactly where is line 55 in your build.xml? Exactly how did Ant get there? I ask because I have experienced similar things via an 'antcall' (properties set in the build script are not being propagated to the antcall). Try running with the -v option, that might give you a clue as to exactly where the problem is.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Note this was cross posted to stack overflow. I think Peter's question is spot on.

[Azriel Abramovich]

Of course this was cross-posted :-) I use all the best forums...

Line 55 is the javac call
<javac srcdir="${src.dir}" destdir="${build.dir}" listfiles="no" debug="true" classpathref="build.classpath" fork="true" memoryInitialSize="128m" memoryMaximumSize="512m" />

edit:
If I clean the project via eclipse - the compile works. Otherwise, if I delete a class file or even entire bin folder manually - it fails.
The compile task is called from several tasks. In all cases it works fine if I clean the project via eclipse first.


Thanks for helping

[Peter Johnson]

Are you running the Ant build from within Eclipse? I ask because Eclipse adds a bunch of settings to the build.

It sounds to me like your Ant build script is not very well written - deleting a class file, or not running a 'clean' should not effect the build's success.

Did you try using -v like I suggested?

[Azriel Abramovich]

Yes, I am running from eclipse.
edit2: -v option: where shall I add it? I guess the answer is 'from command line' and I'll try it asap. see next message


Sorry, I can write Java and C++ code, I can do a handstand... but ant is a bit of a mis(t)ery still (I can rant for long periods about such tools).

edit:
To make life easier (now that I've realised that in the long time I was gone from this forum - upload is supported :-)) I've uploaded the properties and the build.xml file.
Comments are welcome on other things as well... as I am just starting to grind my teeth against the
cannot upload as any format I choose is ignored


Thanks,
A'z

[Azriel Abramovich]

First: Here is the contents of my build.xml file. See how many faults you find :-)

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project name="test" default="compile" basedir=".">


	<!-- ***************  READ PROPERTIES **************** -->
	<target name="properties" description="Inlcude the properties file">
		<tstamp />
		<echo message="[properties] Looking for properties file ${basedir}\build.properties" />
		<property file="${basedir}\build.properties" />
	</target>

	<path id="build.classpath">
		<fileset dir="${lib.dir}">
			<include name="**/*.jar" />
		</fileset>
		<pathelement path="${build.dir}" />
	</path>

	<path id="test.classpath">
		<pathelement location="${build.dir}" />
		<pathelement location="./lib/junit.jar" />
		<path refid="build.classpath" />
		<fileset dir="${basedir}/lib">
			<include name="**/*.jar" />
		</fileset>
	</path>

	<target name="create.build.dir" depends="properties" description="create the build directory">
		<echo message="[create.build.dir] creating ${build.dir}/" />
		<mkdir dir="${build.dir}" />
	</target>

	<target name="clean" depends="properties" description="Delete all build products">
		<echo message="[clean] Deleting ${basedir}/${build.dir}" />
		<delete dir="${basedir}/${build.dir}" />
	</target>

	<target name="xmlmapping.jar.import" depends="create.build.dir" description="Import the latest xml mapping jar">
		<echo message="[xmlmapping.jar.import] Import the latest xml mapping jar  from : ${xmlmapping.jar.dir} to : ${lib.dir}" />
		<copy todir="${lib.dir}">
			<fileset dir="${xmlmapping.jar.dir}">
				<include name="**/*.jar" />
			</fileset>
		</copy>
	</target>

	<target name="backup">
		<echo message="[backup] backing up all current work" />
		<exec executable="backup.bat" />
	</target>

	<target name="compile" depends="properties, create.build.dir, xmlmapping.jar.import" description="Perfom compilation">
		<!-- Compile the java code -->
		<echo message="[compile] compiling sources with lib ${lib.dir} to ${build.dir} source dir ${basedir}" />
		<javac srcdir="${src.dir}" destdir="${build.dir}" listfiles="no" debug="true" classpathref="build.classpath" fork="false" memoryInitialSize="512m" memoryMaximumSize="1024m" />
		<antcall target="backup" />
	</target>

	<target name="test" depends="properties" description="run the jUnit tests">
		<echo message="Running JUnit ${lib.dir}" />
		<junit fork="yes" haltonfailure="yes">
			<test name="com.fis.test.continuoustesting.AllTests" />
			<formatter type="plain" usefile="false" />
			<classpath refid="test.classpath" />
		</junit>
	</target>

	<target name="rebuild" depends="clean,compile" description="Clean and compile the code">
		<echo message="[rebuild]" />
	</target>

	<target name="makejar" depends="compile" description="Creates the jar file">
		<echo message="[makejar] Creating jar ${jar.output.folder}/${jar.file.name}" />
		<jar jarfile="${jar.output.folder}/${jar.file.name}">
			<fileset dir="${build.dir}">
				<include name="**/*.class" />
				<exclude name="test/*.class" />
			</fileset>
		</jar>
	</target>
	
	<target name="ship" depends="rebuild" description="Create a Zip file ready for dist">
		<echo message="[Ship] Creating zip file to distribute" />
		<delete file="${zip.output.folder}/${zip.file.name}" />
		<zip destfile="${zip.output.folder}/${zip.file.name}">
			<zipfileset dir="${lib.dir}" prefix="lib">
				<include name="**/*.*" />
			</zipfileset>
			<zipfileset dir="${basedir}/xml" prefix="xml">
				<include name="**/*.xml" />
			</zipfileset>
			<zipfileset dir="${jar.output.folder}">
				<include name="${jar.file.name}" />
			</zipfileset>
		</zip>
	</target>
</project>

Right, I've ran Ant from command line with the -v option.
Here are some things which ant reports as it starts

[antlib:org.apache.tools.ant] Could not load definitions from resource org/apache/tools/ant/antlib.xml. It could not be found.
Property "lib.dir" has not been set
Property "build.dir" has not been set
Property "build.dir" has not been set
Build sequence for target(s) `compile' is [properties, create.build.dir, xmlmapping.jar.import, compile]
Complete build sequence is [properties, create.build.dir, xmlmapping.jar.import, compile, clean, rebuild, ship, backup, makejar, test, ]

properties:
     [echo] [properties] Looking for properties file C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\build.properties
 [property] Loading C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\build.properties

So you can see it initially complains about the missing lib.dir, it does load the properties file.
Then I see it is adding all expected classes to the build list
i.e.

  [javac] com\MyClass.java added as com\MyClass.class doesn't exist  

And as a prize I get the following ant exception (which I fail to learn anything new from):

BUILD FAILED
C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\build.xml:55: C:\eclipse\workspace\ContinuousTesting\${lib.dir} not found.
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.AbstractFileSet.getDirectoryScanner(AbstractFileSet.java:434)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.FileSet.iterator(FileSet.java:69)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.Union.getCollection(Union.java:110)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.Union.getCollection(Union.java:90)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.BaseResourceCollectionContainer.cacheCollection(BaseResourceCollectionContainer.java:250)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.BaseResourceCollectionContainer.iterator(BaseResourceCollectionContainer.java:126)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.iterator(Path.java:693)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.iterator(Path.java:687)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.Union.getCollection(Union.java:110)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.resources.Union.list(Union.java:69)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.list(Path.java:359)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.addExisting(Path.java:330)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.addExisting(Path.java:318)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.concatSpecialPath(Path.java:563)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.types.Path.concatSystemClasspath(Path.java:515)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.DefaultCompilerAdapter.getCompileClasspath(DefaultCompilerAdapter.java:153)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.DefaultCompilerAdapter.setupJavacCommandlineSwitches(DefaultCompilerAdapter.java:183)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.DefaultCompilerAdapter.setupModernJavacCommandlineSwitches(DefaultCompilerAdapter.java:321)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.DefaultCompilerAdapter.setupModernJavacCommand(DefaultCompilerAdapter.java:368)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.Javac13.execute(Javac13.java:48)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Javac.compile(Javac.java:1065)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Javac.execute(Javac.java:882)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.UnknownElement.execute(UnknownElement.java:288)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.dispatch.DispatchUtils.execute(DispatchUtils.java:106)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Task.perform(Task.java:348)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.execute(Target.java:357)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Target.performTasks(Target.java:385)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeSortedTargets(Project.java:1337)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeTarget(Project.java:1306)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.helper.DefaultExecutor.executeTargets(DefaultExecutor.java:41)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Project.executeTargets(Project.java:1189)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.runBuild(Main.java:758)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.Main.startAnt(Main.java:217)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.launch.Launcher.run(Launcher.java:257)
        at org.apache.tools.ant.launch.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:104)

[Azriel Abramovich]

I have resolved this by realising that I better not have the build.dir, lib.dir and src.dir properties as properties. This should sit within the build.xml file

Thanks for your time.

[Peter Johnson]

Suggestion: Do not use back-slashes in paths in Ant - the back-slash is too often taken as an escape character.

The problem is that you load the properties file from within a target, but the classpath is initialized globally. Thus lines 19..26 are performed before lines 6..10. You should either do all initialization within targets (I prefer this for complicated build scripts) or load the properties file globally (not within a target). I usually always load the properties file globally.

However your decision to move the properties into the build script is the correct decision. All project-relative paths should be defined within the build script itself. Use the properties file for external directory locations and other settings that can change from machine to machine or user to user.

By the way, if you are new with Ant, grab Ant in Action - I have the first edition of that book and found it to be invaluable.

[Azriel Abramovich]

Thanks Peter!

I guess I got what I deserve.
I took an Ant build file written by someone else, and just ripped some parts apart.

I'll learn now how to initialize the classpath as part of a task, and load the properties globally.

Thanks for the link !

A'z