Re: extension mechanism

[William Uther <wi...@cs.cmu.edu>]

> = Duncan
>> = Ludovic

>> Can we consider some kind of extension mecanism to ant? I find that
>> having
> to
>> define <taskdef>
>> in each project is a pain (especially is you have >10 projects...). I've
> seen
>> that you can read default
>> properties from your home directory, why not have that also for default
>> taskdefs?
> 
> That's not a bad idea as well. Having a $HOME/.antrc or some such would
> not be a bad thing imho.

Actually, one of the things I'd quite like to have is a project specific
classpath.  I agree that there is logic that should go in it's own task. (I
use the Ozone Database <http://www.ozone-db.org/>, which has its own rmic
type tool that it would be nice to make into a task.)  However, this is
really a project specific task.  I don't want it in my normal ANT classpath
or in my system classpath.

We could have a simple classloader that reads in the extra task definitons.

<taskdef name="deathDestroyerOfWorlds"
classname="abandon.all.hope.ye.who.enter.here" classpath="${taskdefs}" />

later,

\x/ill          :-}

Re: extension mechanism

[William Uther <wi...@cs.cmu.edu>]

>> Actually, one of the things I'd quite like to have is a project specific
>> classpath.  I agree that there is logic that should go in it's own task.

>> We could have a simple classloader that reads in the extra task
> definitons.
>> 
>> <taskdef name="deathDestroyerOfWorlds"
>> classname="abandon.all.hope.ye.who.enter.here" classpath="${taskdefs}" />
> 
> Eh? You were talking about a project specific classpath, but your
> illustration is of a taskdef. I'm not following.

I was referring to a classpath from which project specific tasks get
loaded.  I think a classpath for things like javac can already by handled
with a property.

Sorry for not being clearer.  (Not sure I should be let anywhere near a
programming language - I can't get English right. :)

\x/ill         :-}

Re: extension mechanism

[James Duncan Davidson <ja...@eng.sun.com>]

> Actually, one of the things I'd quite like to have is a project specific
> classpath.  I agree that there is logic that should go in it's own task.
(I
> use the Ozone Database <http://www.ozone-db.org/>, which has its own rmic
> type tool that it would be nice to make into a task.)  However, this is
> really a project specific task.  I don't want it in my normal ANT
classpath
> or in my system classpath.
>
> We could have a simple classloader that reads in the extra task
definitons.
>
> <taskdef name="deathDestroyerOfWorlds"
> classname="abandon.all.hope.ye.who.enter.here" classpath="${taskdefs}" />

Eh? You were talking about a project specific classpath, but your
illustration is of a taskdef. I'm not following.

At first glance a project level classpath isn't a bad idea. I'm not sure how
to best reflect that into tasks, or if the tasks should just ask the project
if there is a specific classpath to be used. Of course, there's the issues
of whether the given classpath is additive or replaces the current
classpath. So far the behavior in the javac task has been additive.

.duncan