Web App Deployment using Ant

[Tom Hangies]

Hi!
I'm trying to deploy a web app using Ant.

Development Environment
-------------------------
C:\JavaProjects\MyProj\ directory has the following files/dirs
build.xml (The XML build file)
thirdparty/libs/jdbc1.jar
thirdparty/libs/jdbc2.jar
build/main/com/myco/Servlet.class
src/metadata/myapp.xml
src/html/myapp/index.html
src/jsp/myapp/front.jsp
src/graphics/images/gifs/small/logo.gif
src/graphics/images/gifs/large/logo.gif

Deployment Environment
----------------------------------------
I wanna make a WAR file and copy it to
C:\Tomcat5\webapps\ directory


Here goes my build.xml file
-----------------------------
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project name="aag" default="compile" basedir=".">

<property name="name" value="aag" />
<property name="build" value="${basedir}/build" />
<property name="dist" value="${basedir}/dist" />
<property name="source" value="${basedir}/src" />
<property name="tomcat" value="C:/Tomcat5/webapps" />

<target name="init" >
<tstamp />
<mkdir dir="${build}" /> Won’t this overrite my bdild directory?
<mkdir dir="${dist}" />
</target>

<target name="compile" depends="init" >
<javac srcdir="${source}" destdir="${build}" />
</target>

<target name="war" depends="compile">
<war destFile="myapp.war"
webxml=" src/metadata/myapp.xml">
<classes dir="build/main"/> <!-- the java classes -->
<fileset dir="src/html/myapp"/>
<fileset dir="src/jsp/myapp"/>

</war>
<copy todir="${tomcat}" file="myapp.war" />
</target>
</project>

I have some Queries:
I hope the location of my build file is correct?
1. Won’t the mkdir task over-write my build directory?
2. I still have to explicitly give the name of my Tomcat Installation directory. Is there any other procedure?

Regards,
SCJP

[Tim West]

In brief: 1 - No. 2 - No.

With regard to 1, the easiest way to see this is to simply try it. Though, it's a pity this isn't mentioned in the mkdir task documentation.

With regard to 2, you do need to explicitly copy to your Tomcat directory. I can't think of any other procedure that could be used, can you?

(OK, maybe you could write a Tomcat-specific "deploy"-type task that uses the CATALINA_HOME environment variable, but that seems overly complex to me...)



-Tim
[ July 31, 2005: Message edited by: Tim West ]

[Ulf Dittmer]

There's another thread running right now which deals with the exact same question.