Re: build system?

From: PETER NORDLUND (peter_nordlund_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-07-25 17:16:02

Hi all,

I have recently started to program Java instead of C++.
Then I found Ant. Ant is a make-like tool for building projects.
It is focuesed on compiling Java, but maybe it could also be used
for C++, if you could live with the burden of having a Java-environment
up and running.

I find Ant really convenient to use (for Java projects).
It is much easier than make.

I joined the Ant-mailing list quite a few months ago. 
I remember someone asking if Ant
was suitable for C++, but I don't remember the answer.

see http://jakarta.apache.org/ant/index.html for some info
and links for getting the stuff etc.

Below is an except from the documentation:
----------
Introduction
Ant is a Java based build tool. In theory it is kind of like make 
without make's wrinkles.

Why?
Why another build tool when there is already make, 
gnumake, nmake, jam, and others? Because all of those 
tools have limitations that its original author couldn't 
live with when developing software across multiple platforms. 
Make like tools are inherently shell based. They evaluate a set 
of dependencies and then execute commands not unlike what you 
would issue on a shell. This means that you can easily extend 
these tools by using or writing any program for the OS that 
you are working on. However, this also means that you limit 
yourself to the OS, or at least the OS type such as Unix, 
that you are working on.

Makefiles are inherently evil as well.

...

Ant is different. Instead a model where it is extended with shell 
based commands, it is extended using Java classes. Instead of writing 
shell commands, the configuration files are XML based calling out a 
target tree where various tasks get executed. Each task is run by an 
object which implements a particular Task interface.

Granted, this removes some of the expressive power that is inherent 
by being able to construct a shell command such as 
`find . -name foo -exec rm {}` but it gives you the ability to be 
cross platform. To work anywhere and everywhere. And hey, if you 
really need to execute a shell command, Ant has an exec rule that 
allows different commands to be executed based on the OS that it 
is executing on.
----------

If it isn't unbearable to program Java you could maybe write some
new tasks to get a complete "make"-system for C++.

Regards,
Peter