Passing optional path arguments to ant?

You can do this - albeit with a slightly different command-line syntax - using a property 'override'.

Up vote 2 down vote favorite share g+ share fb share tw.

I have an ant task that uses an apply task to run a script on a group of files. I have a directory structure resultant of something like this: mkdir -p a/{b,c,d,e}/f Normally (if I pass no arguments), I would like ant to run on all fs. That is, if I called ant mytask, it should process: a/b/f, a/c/f, a/d/f, a/e/f.

This already works using apply and patternsets. However, when I pass it an optional argument called foo, it should only call the script on a/foo/f. So if I called ant mytask -foo b, it should process a/b/f only, and not the others.

I have read this SO post, which explains ways of passing arguments, and I have looked at the ant documentation regarding properties, and conditionals. But I am still unable to piece them together in a way that works. Also, I do not want to use one of the suggestions from the SO above which called for arguments like this: I want to be able to call it as ant mytask -foo valueoffoo for any arbitrary foo.

Thanks. I tried martin clayton's suggestion below and have code like: The above does what I want. Note 1: In my actual code I use a patternset instead of dirset but it should work the same.

Note 2: In my original question I said the directory structure was a/{b,c,d,e}/f. It is in fact a bit more complicated, hence the * in the include above. I omitted that the first time around because it did not seem relevant.

Ant command-line-arguments argument-passing optional-arguments link|improve this question edited Jul 27 '11 at 13:18 asked Jul 25 '11 at 15:00yarian29312 100% accept rate.

– martin clayton Jul 25 '11 at 17:58 @martin clayton : Oh sorry, you're right that is confusing. I fixed my question. – yarian Jul 26 '11 at 13:38 So, by default, the include pattern is */*/f - which parts of that do you want to be able to override from the command line?

The ${foo} part, or the middle * - or both perhaps? – martin clayton Jul 26 '11 at 14:31 Well, presumably if I learn to do the ${foo} part I could adapt it if I were to later need the middle as well. For now though it's just the ${foo}.

I am guessing if I needed both the property could be set with value="/" or I could have two properties set to *. (If this sentence doesn't make sense ignore it, not too relevant). – yarian Jul 26 '11 at 15:29 So what happens when you run something like ant -Dfoo=d with the above buildfile?

– martin clayton Jul 26 '11 at 15:43.

You can do this - albeit with a slightly different command-line syntax - using a property 'override'. First, in the buildfile, construct your fileset or dirset from a property foo, something like this: This will give you your default behaviour - processing all subdirectories of a that themselves have a subdirectory f. Now, if you run Ant like this: ant -Dfoo=d Only directory a/d/f will be processed.

This works because Ant properties are not mutable - well, not normally anyway - so the command-line definition of foo prevents the one within the buildfile from being used.

See my edited question above. – yarian Jul 25 '11 at 16:09.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.