If I have a script for a play and I read (execute) first Act 2, Scene 3 and then execute Act 1, Scene 2, is this not a set of targets and are they not executed in a different order. Does this script not do the same as the ant build script. Within a target, I have instructions to be performed (your rules). These instructions are processed based upon the tasks that they are dispatched to.
>From Britannica.com "in motion pictures, the written text of a film. The nature of scripts varies from those that give only a brief outline of the action to detailed shooting scripts, in which every action, gesture, and implication is explicitly stated." Is that not what I do in a build file? Chris Erskine EDS Consulting Services F5-EDS-001 2424 Garden of the Gods Rd Colorado Springs, CO 80919 Phone: 719-535-6064 Phone: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill Rich [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 10:42 AM > To: 'Ant Users List' > Subject: RE: winning the case for ANT > > "[Erskine, Chris] I agree that Ant is a build tool. As a build tool, it > requires something to tell it what to do. From > http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=script > For computer science, it states "A simple program in a utility language or > an application's proprietary language". This describes what is contained > in > the build file. This is a script. A script is just a list of steps to be > followed. As such, Ant does use a scripting language which has been > formatted using XML." > > I beg to differ with the statement that the build file is a script. It is > a > set of independent rules (<target>s), not a list of steps. The author of > the > build file does not determine the order of execution, the Ant engine does. > Yes, there is an artifact of the language whereby some dependency between > <target>s (depends, if, unless,...) can be imposed, but, the fact still > remains that the targets are independent by definition. > > Thanks. Bill > > Bill Rich > Wilandra Consulting LLC > 1325 Addiewell Place > San Jose, CA 95120-3905 > phone: +1 408 268-2452 > mobile: +1 408 410-9713 > Santa Cruz: +1 831 464-9007 > fax: +1 413 669-9716 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.wilandra.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: Erskine, Chris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 8:55 AM > To: Ant Users List > Subject: RE: winning the case for ANT > > Please see below. > > Chris Erskine > > EDS Consulting Services > F5-EDS-001 > 2424 Garden of the Gods Rd > Colorado Springs, CO 80919 > > Phone: 719-535-6064 > > Phone: > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Chappell, Simon P [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 9:15 AM > > To: Ant Users List > > Subject: RE: winning the case for ANT > > > > I have to correct a few things here. > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > >From: Erskine, Chris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 7:33 AM > > >To: Ant Users List > > >Subject: RE: winning the case for ANT > > > > > > > > >XML is just a standard way of formatting data. In this case, the > > >lines of data are script commands. > > > > No! Ant is not a scripting language. Perhaps it should have been, but > > the reality is that Ant is a build tool. It uses deterministic logic > > to build your application, given descriptions of your project and the > > dependencies between parts. This works really well in most instances. > > The biggest problem that I have seen with ant, is that people try to > > use it like a scripting language and wonder why that causes problems. > > > [Erskine, Chris] I agree that Ant is a build tool. As a build tool, it > requires something to tell it what to do. From > http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=script > For computer science, it states "A simple program in a utility language or > an application's proprietary language". This describes what is contained > in > the build file. This is a script. A script is just a list of steps to be > followed. As such, Ant does use a scripting language which has been > formatted using XML. > > > >You could define this format as a scripting language. Each tool has > > >its own formatting syntax. If you look at Make, it has its own > > >format that has the problem of the first character on a line having > > >to be a tab character to be a command for a target. > > > > Make is a fine tool, but it's not the best tool for Java applications. > > I like make, wrinkles and all, but I use ant for my Java projects. > > [Erskine, Chris] I agree fully. > > > > > >XML format is just the format that was chosen for ant to describe the > > >scripting. This is not a battle that will be won on merit since it > > >sounds like it is a religious issue for this developer. > > > > Sounds like that project needs a good tech. lead to put their foot > > down and make a decision. A tech lead needs to be somewhat like Linus > > Torvalds, a benevolent dictator. :-) > > > > [Erskine, Chris] You have to play the political game. Not always the best > answer but for some projects, this is a fact of life. This developer who > does not want to us XML for scripting may be the tech lead. Putting their > foot down and making a decision may not be what is wanted here. And, to > prevent more ranting, this person may be a 'good' tech lead. Just because > a > person does not use all of the best practices, does not make them bad. > There can be a number of reasons for not using Ant. There are also a > number > of issues with XML and although it is the current religion, it does not > fit > in all cases which I think the industry is starting to see and move > somewhat > away from it. XML is just a tool. Where it makes sense or can be used > without big problems, use it. But also, you need to know where it does > not > fit. > > > >ANT is not an industry standard. I do not even know if I > > > > It most certainly is a de-facto standard on the Java side of the > > fence, especially on the open source projects. To say otherwise is to > > display a certain amount of ignorance of the state of the Java world. > > > [Erskine, Chris] I agree that it is a de-facto standard. It is not an > industry standard. There is not a standards body that has blessed ant as > a > standard. > > > >could define it as > > >a best practice although I think it might be close. It is a tool > > >that used by many people to automate their build and deployment of > > >code. > > > It is very > > >good at what it does which is why it is a popular as it is. > > > > It's popular, it's used by many people ... sounds like a de-facto > > standard to me. > > > > <snip> > > > > >Chris Erskine > > > > Simon > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > Simon P. Chappell [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Java Programming Specialist www.landsend.com > > Lands' End, Inc. (608) 935-4526 > > > > "Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent > > and well-informed just to be undecided about them." - Laurence J. > > Peter > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional > > commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional > commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
