Hello Ant

Main Learning's

• Download and install Ant
• Set up the required Ant System Variables
• Verify that the Ant is properly installed
• Compile, create a jar and run a HelloWorld.java class

Versions used:

• OS: Windows XP V1.6
• JDK version 1.6.0_3
• Ant version 1.7.0

Assumptions: 

The JDK is properly installed

Tutorial Steps:

1. Go to Ant download page at: http://ant.apache.org/bindownload.cgi
2. Download ant binary distribution file – e.g. apache-ant-1.7.0-bin.zip
3. Unzip and install ant
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4. Set the ANT_HOME environment variable to the directory where you installed Ant.
   1. On Wondows: Systems Properties/ Advanced/ Environment Variables / System Variables/ New
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5. Add the Ant bin directory to your path.
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6. Make sure the jdk is properly installed – Ant uses Java, therefore the JDK must be properly installed.
7. Make sure ant is working.
   1. Open a command prompt and execute ant –help
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8. Create a folder for your helloant project – e.g. C:\codebase\sample\helloant
9. Create a HelloWorld.java class with the following code

   1. package mypackage;

       

      public class HelloWorld {

          public static void main(String[] args) {

              System.out.println("Hello World");

          }

      }

10. Make sure the java class is located in the src\mypackage forlder (Full path:  C:\codebase\sample\helloant\src\mypackage)
11. Create a build.xml text fiel with the following content:

    1. <project>

        

           <target name="clean">

               <delete dir="build"/>

           </target>

        

           <target name="compile">

               <mkdir dir="build/classes"/>

               <javac srcdir="src" destdir="build/classes"/>

           </target>

        

           <target name="jar">

               <mkdir dir="build/jar"/>

               <jar destfile="build/jar/HelloWorld.jar" basedir="build/classes">

                   <manifest>

                       <attribute name="Main-Class" value="mypackage.HelloWorld"/>

                   </manifest>

               </jar>

           </target>

        

           <target name="run">

               <java jar="build/jar/HelloWorld.jar" fork="true"/>

           </target>

        

       </project>

12. Save your build.xml file to your project root (in my case C:\codebase\sample\helloant)
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13. Open a command prompt
14. Go to your helloant project root (in my case C:\codebase\sample\helloant)
15. Execute the following ant commands:
    • ant compile
    • ant jar
    • ant run
16. You should get the results as depicted in the following picture
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