Return-Path: 
 <user-return-41661-apmail-ant-user-archive=ant.apache.org@ant.apache.org>
Delivered-To: apmail-ant-user-archive@www.apache.org
Received: (qmail 56434 invoked from network); 9 Mar 2004 08:51:47 -0000
Received: from daedalus.apache.org (HELO mail.apache.org) (208.185.179.12)
  by minotaur-2.apache.org with SMTP; 9 Mar 2004 08:51:47 -0000
Received: (qmail 23165 invoked by uid 500); 9 Mar 2004 08:51:14 -0000
Delivered-To: apmail-ant-user-archive@ant.apache.org
Received: (qmail 23129 invoked by uid 500); 9 Mar 2004 08:51:14 -0000
Mailing-List: contact user-help@ant.apache.org; run by ezmlm
Precedence: bulk
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:user-unsubscribe@ant.apache.org>
List-Subscribe: <mailto:user-subscribe@ant.apache.org>
List-Help: <mailto:user-help@ant.apache.org>
List-Post: <mailto:user@ant.apache.org>
List-Id: "Ant Users List" <user.ant.apache.org>
Reply-To: "Ant Users List" <user@ant.apache.org>
Delivered-To: mailing list user@ant.apache.org
Received: (qmail 23114 invoked from network); 9 Mar 2004 08:51:13 -0000
Received: from unknown (HELO seawall.perth.wni.com) (203.59.125.206)
  by daedalus.apache.org with SMTP; 9 Mar 2004 08:51:13 -0000
Received: from soliton3.perth.wni.com ([172.17.230.12])
	by seawall.perth.wni.com with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian))
	id 1B0cx9-0004H2-00
	for <user@ant.apache.org>; Tue, 09 Mar 2004 16:51:07 +0800
Received: from auklet.perth.wni.com (auklet.metoceanengineers.com
 [172.17.230.100])
	by soliton3.perth.wni.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id i298oQf25760
	for <user@ant.apache.org>; Tue, 9 Mar 2004 16:51:06 +0800
Message-Id: <6.0.1.1.0.20040309160843.02e18ac8@mailhost>
X-Sender: keith@mailhost (Unverified)
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.0.1.1
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 16:49:23 +0800
To: "Ant Users List" <user@ant.apache.org>
From: Keith Davidson <keith.davidson@metoceanengineers.com>
Subject: RE: List of frequently found gotchas
In-Reply-To: <879A5AD5DD0ED511891F0003473A9B560E23EE5B@Z011004>
References: <879A5AD5DD0ED511891F0003473A9B560E23EE5B@Z011004>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
X-Spam-Rating: daedalus.apache.org 1.6.2 0/1000/N
X-Spam-Rating: minotaur-2.apache.org 1.6.2 0/1000/N

Hi Jan,

Apologies for the use of colloquial English.  By "gotchas", I mean, things=
=20
that catch you [in a trap].  Gotcha - a joining of "got ya", ie "got you",=
=20
as in "caught you".

Thanks for the links.  However, I think the sheer wealth of information=20
available, much of it repeating each other, simply highlights the problem=20
that I am talking about.  Every time I go to do something different in Ant,=
=20
my first point of reference is the user manual that comes with the download=
=20
of Ant, ie the http://ant.apache.org/manual/, and it is here that I would=20
like to see a heading for Gotchas (or perhaps, Tips).  Things such as:

1) The <copy> task does not copy file permissions in Unix=20
environments.  Use, either:
The <copy> task, followed by the <chmod> task,
or, if you don't know the permissions, but just want to preserve what they=
=20
are, don't use the <copy> task, instead, use:
<exec executable=3D"bash"><arg line=3D"-c 'cp -f -p ${src_dir}/*=20
${dest_dir}'"/></exec>

2) The <java> task will not list full details of Exceptions unless you use=
=20
fork=3D"yes" within the <java ...> task

I think these also belong on the relevant manual pages (eg=20
http://ant.apache.org/manual/CoreTasks/copy.html), and I don't mean as a=20
footnote on the bottom of the page that you might notice if you actually=20
read the whole page from start to finish, but at the top, as the first=20
thing you read, perhaps as a big red warning (because, as you know, nobody=
=20
rtfm in its entirety).

Both of these problems are examples of things that I stumbled upon, but=20
only solved by asking mailing lists, and both of them, surely, are things=20
that are regularly stumbled upon.  I am sure there are more, they are just=
=20
the two that I have found so far.

Another thing that could go on a Tips page, would perhaps be the existence=
=20
of the <fixcrlf> task.

Cheers,
Keith.


At 03:33 PM 9/03/2004, Jan.Materne@rzf.fin-nrw.de wrote:
> > I don't know if any Ant developers are listening on this list,
>
>I think most (or all) of the committers are listening :-)
>
>
> > but may I
> > politely suggest, that if a list of Frequently Found Gotchas
> > was given as
> > part of the Ant user documentation, then the volume of
> > traffic on this list
> > might well drop dramatically.  Just an idea.
>
>New ideas are always welcome.
>
>I=B4m not sure about the meaning of "Gotcha" in this context
>(my translator didn=B4t gave me enough infos :), but maybe
>some of the existing resources are not well known (although
>they are listed on the website):
>
>* The manual :-)
>   http://ant.apache.org/manual
>   and part of the distro
>
>* FAQ
>   http://ant.apache.org/faq.html
>
>* FAQ @ jGuru
>   http://www.jguru.com/faq/Ant
>
>* Wiki
>   http://wiki.apache.org/ant/FrontPage
>
>* Forum @ jGuru
>   http://www.jguru.com/forums/Ant
>
>
>We could add something to the manual, but you=B4ll be suprised
>how often questions are asked you you could answer "rtfm" :-)
>(ok, we are more politely here...)
>
>
>Jan


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: user-unsubscribe@ant.apache.org
For additional commands, e-mail: user-help@ant.apache.org