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Subject: RE: Re[2]: Separation from rules and project specifics. Can it be
 done?
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 13:16:06 -0400
Message-ID: 
 <126C77D3993DC640B8C9012D54A3C46004DAA3FA@ACCLUST02EVS1.ugd.att.com>
Thread-Topic: Re[2]: Separation from rules and project specifics. Can it be
 done?
Thread-Index: AcMwM8FPnBk/pszuQtuqPaTLdRXg0QAB4ggg
From: "Tharp, Joshua L, SOLGV" <jltharp@att.com>
To: "Ant Users List" <user@ant.apache.org>, "pkriens" <Peter.Kriens@aQute.se>

Five comments, three about your questions, two about your posts...

1) Use the ant task to break your build files up into reusable pieces.
2) The ant task can be populated using properties files addressing your
concerns.
3) Ant, like make, any programming language, and just about anything
else done on a computer, CAN require large amounts of maintenance, CAN
become unreadable, and CAN be sensitive to configuration. However, like
all of these things, knowing what you are doing alleviates or even
eliminates these problems. I have used and even written, some very
fragile make files in the past. On the other hand, I have written some
fairly clean, clear, and flexible make and ant files. It is a simple
matter of education and experience. If you are new to ant, get a good
book that explains how to produce good build environment.
4) IMHO is a STUPID thing to put in your messages since we all know it
is your opinion, and it obviously isn't humble or you wouldn't be
sharing it with us.
5) I'm sorry if you are feeling pressure to use ant. If you don't like
the way it works, you have three choices, use make or one of its clones,
write your own build tool, or become a contributor to ant. I don't mind
answering questions, and reading other's questions / answers, but the
ant tool bashing that has taken place on the list over the last two days
is beyond tiresome.

Josh

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Kriens [mailto:Peter.Kriens@aQute.se]=20
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 9:08 AM
To: Sauyet, Scott (OTS-HAR)
Cc: user@ant.apache.org
Subject: Re[2]: Separation from rules and project specifics. Can it be
done?

The problem with the entity solution is that it only works from the
first file. You cannot do includes in includes ...

Another issue is, is that the location cannot come from properties
because it is on XML level. You are only allowed to define the entity
BEFORE any text is processed. Really rather limited actually.

I agree it is a start, but as with many things in Ant, it stops short
from really being adequate.

Dont get me wrong, thousands of developers prove every day ant can do
the job ... but imho at the cost of high maintenance because of
unreadability, sensitive to configuration, and its ad-hoc design.

Kind regards,

     Peter Kriens


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