Ok, I´ve done some tests... App.java just print the given arguments. The buildfile compiles that and uses several different invocations for that application with a "path" as "argument"
Maybe we dont know exactly what you want to achieve, but I´m sure you get your solution here ;-) Jan App.java ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- public class App { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("args (" + args.length + ")"); for (int i=0; i<args.length; i++) { System.out.println(" " + i + ": " + args[i]); } } } ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- Directory Layout ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- C:. | App.class | App.java | build.xml | \---files with a space.file withoutaspace.file ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- build.xml ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- <project> <javac srcdir="." destdir="."/> <path id="p"> <pathelement location="files/with a space.file"/> <pathelement location="files/withoutaspace.file"/> </path> <!-- all elements in ONE string args (1) 0: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\with a space.file;C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\withoutaspace.file --> <java classname="App" classpath="."> <arg pathref="p"/> </java> <!-- all in ONE string and then split on spaces args (3) 0: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\with 1: a 2: space.file;C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\withoutaspace.file --> <property name="p2" refid="p"/> <java classname="App" classpath="."> <arg line="${p2}"/> </java> <!-- each path element in its own variable; on several threads args (1) 0: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\with a space.file args (1) 0: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\withoutaspace.file --> <apply executable="java"> <arg line="-classpath ."/> <arg value="App"/> <path refid="p"/> </apply> <!-- each path element in its own variable; in one application args (2) 0: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\with a space.file 1: C:\tmp\ant-javaWithPath\files\withoutaspace.file --> <pathconvert property="p3" refid="p" pathsep="" "" /> <property name="p4" value=""${p3}""/> <java classname="App" classpath="."> <arg line="${p4}"/> </java> </project> ---8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<-------8-<---- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]