Comments on: Ant: A Case Study in How Not To Write An Error Message http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/ Longer than a blog; shorter than a book Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:38:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Baron Von Jiblet http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-248757 Baron Von Jiblet Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:37:16 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-248757 There is one simple solution to this problem: stop using Ant! I have tried multiple versions of it over the years and it continues to break my builds with a different bug in each version. It's broken by design. As a matter of fact, it can't even run javac properly: it wants to build every Java source file in the source directory, whereas for a minimal build (e.g. an Applet) you really want to let javac work out the minimal set of sources to build. The solution is to exec out to the command line javac program. Ditch ant and use GNU make. Seriously. If you're stuck on Windows, install Cygwin too. It will save you time. There is one simple solution to this problem: stop using Ant! I have tried multiple versions of it over the years and it continues to break my builds with a different bug in each version. It’s broken by design. As a matter of fact, it can’t even run javac properly: it wants to build every Java source file in the source directory, whereas for a minimal build (e.g. an Applet) you really want to let javac work out the minimal set of sources to build. The solution is to exec out to the command line javac program.

Ditch ant and use GNU make. Seriously. If you’re stuck on Windows, install Cygwin too. It will save you time.

]]> By: Andy http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-232461 Andy Thu, 29 May 2008 21:09:27 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-232461 shpxnvzer: i bet your own version of javac also says nothing about which syntax was written incorrectly and which line number huh? retard! shpxnvzer: i bet your own version of javac also says nothing about which syntax was written incorrectly and which line number huh? retard!

]]> By: Steve L http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-227747 Steve L Mon, 19 May 2008 17:29:21 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-227747 @Bill. "misspelt" is in fact the correct way of spelling the past tense verb "to mispell" in English. "misspelled" is a regional variation. Both are valid. Whatever you can fault us in the Ant team for, it is not for getting misspelt misspelt. ps: try the error message in Ant 1.7 -there's far better diagnostics there. @Bill. “misspelt” is in fact the correct way of spelling the past tense verb “to mispell” in English. “misspelled” is a regional variation. Both are valid. Whatever you can fault us in the Ant team for, it is not for getting misspelt misspelt.

ps: try the error message in Ant 1.7 -there’s far better diagnostics there.

]]> By: anon http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-212537 anon Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:26:28 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-212537 LOL lots like you are missing the point of open source here! You say you have deadlines to meet which infers that you are using their tool in a commercial environment and getting paid for your work. How much did you pay for Ant? Sorry but you get what you pay for in this world and like the previous poster said you have the source code available and you can make the changes. Open Source is not built around multi national companies with cash to throw at these projects often its done by people in their spare time. By all means write your comments and put your wish list to Ant but quit your whining and look for a commercial alternative if it doesn’t work the way you want it to. LOL lots like you are missing the point of open source here!

You say you have deadlines to meet which infers that you are using their tool in a commercial environment and getting paid for your work. How much did you pay for Ant?

Sorry but you get what you pay for in this world and like the previous poster said you have the source code available and you can make the changes.

Open Source is not built around multi national companies with cash to throw at these projects often its done by people in their spare time.

By all means write your comments and put your wish list to Ant but quit your whining and look for a commercial alternative if it doesn’t work the way you want it to.

]]> By: Bill http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-131439 Bill Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:07:57 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-131439 So, am I the only one who noticed the spelling of "misspelt". Looks like the ANT developers need to check THEIR spelling. ;) So, am I the only one who noticed the spelling of “misspelt”. Looks like the ANT developers need to check THEIR spelling. ;)

]]> By: ian http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-66739 ian Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:23:38 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-66739 Check out the following link for a definitive solution when working with Eclipse. http://www.ryanlowe.ca/blog/archives/001038_junit_ant_task_doesnt_work_in_eclipse.php Check out the following link for a definitive solution when working with Eclipse.
http://www.ryanlowe.ca/blog/archives/001038_junit_ant_task_doesnt_work_in_eclipse.php

]]> By: mahesh http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-40859 mahesh Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:04:34 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-40859 Ant could not find the task or a class this task relies upon. This is common and has a number of causes; the usual solutions are to read the manual pages then download and install needed JAR files, or fix the build file: - You have misspelt 'extendclasspath'. Fix: check your spelling. - The task needs an external JAR file to execute and this is not found at the right place in the classpath. Fix: check the documentation for dependencies. Fix: declare the task. - The task is an Ant optional task and the JAR file and/or libraries implementing the functionality were not found at the time you yourself built your installation of Ant from the Ant sources. Fix: Look in the ANT_HOME/lib for the 'ant-' JAR corresponding to the task and make sure it contains more than merely a META-INF/MANIFEST.MF. If all it contains is the manifest, then rebuild Ant with the needed libraries present in ${ant.home}/lib/optional/ , or alternatively, download a pre-built release version from apache.org - The build file was written for a later version of Ant Fix: upgrade to at least the latest release version of Ant - The task is not an Ant core or optional task and needs to be declared using . - You are attempting to use a task defined using or but have spelt wrong or not defined it at the point of use Remember that for JAR files to be visible to Ant tasks implemented in ANT_HOME/lib, the files must be in the same directory or on the classpath Total time: 484 milliseconds Ant could not find the task or a class this task relies upon.

This is common and has a number of causes; the usual
solutions are to read the manual pages then download and
install needed JAR files, or fix the build file:
- You have misspelt ‘extendclasspath’.
Fix: check your spelling.
- The task needs an external JAR file to execute
and this is not found at the right place in the classpath.
Fix: check the documentation for dependencies.
Fix: declare the task.
- The task is an Ant optional task and the JAR file and/or libraries
implementing the functionality were not found at the time you
yourself built your installation of Ant from the Ant sources.
Fix: Look in the ANT_HOME/lib for the ‘ant-’ JAR corresponding to the
task and make sure it contains more than merely a META-INF/MANIFEST.MF.
If all it contains is the manifest, then rebuild Ant with the needed
libraries present in ${ant.home}/lib/optional/ , or alternatively,
download a pre-built release version from apache.org
- The build file was written for a later version of Ant
Fix: upgrade to at least the latest release version of Ant
- The task is not an Ant core or optional task
and needs to be declared using .
- You are attempting to use a task defined using
or but have spelt wrong or not
defined it at the point of use

Remember that for JAR files to be visible to Ant tasks implemented
in ANT_HOME/lib, the files must be in the same directory or on the
classpath

Total time: 484 milliseconds

]]> By: Brent Kynaston http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-37345 Brent Kynaston Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:55:16 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-37345 I resolved the issue by placing junit-addons.jar in my ant/lib directory. Have fun! I resolved the issue by placing junit-addons.jar in my ant/lib directory. Have fun!

]]> By: DD http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-426 DD Wed, 10 May 2006 22:27:39 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-426 Very good comments, I really frustrated with ANT, this message it doesn't provide useful information on how to fix the problem, I googled several web site, and tried to follow their instruction (copy junit.jar, rebuild, even reinstall the system to remove any lefe over), but none of them work, :-( . Very good comments, I really frustrated with ANT, this message it doesn’t provide useful information on how to fix the problem, I googled several web site, and tried to follow their instruction (copy junit.jar, rebuild, even reinstall the system to remove any lefe over), but none of them work, :-( .

]]> By: Andrew http://cafe.elharo.com/blogroll/errormsg/#comment-282 Andrew Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:51:04 +0000 http://minicafe.elharo.com/wordpress/java/errormsg/#comment-282 shpxnvzer... what an asshole... you obviously didn't read the first post, so caught up in the love you have for ant. Ant is a tool, and if it fails for whatever reason, it should tell you exactly what is wrong. It knows that junit is not mispelled so why report that as a possible error? If it cannot find junit.jar, it should tell you that this is the case, and not bother you with other nonsense. As a developer, I am not interested in tracking down every possible cause to a problem when the tool should be doing that for me. If a tool can give me the correct information to start with it should (and there is no reason that ant cannot provide this information) - and let me spend my time actually getting on with coding. If the developers of ant want their product to be used (even if it is free) they should realize this, instead of taking insult... Yes, ant should figure out the problem for me. Its not being lazy - it is called being productive. So you are a better developer who is more familiar with ant... congratulations... you may have the time to play with every setting until you find what works, but some of us actually have work to do, and deadlines to meet... shpxnvzer… what an asshole… you obviously didn’t read the first post, so caught up in the love you have for ant.

Ant is a tool, and if it fails for whatever reason, it should tell you exactly what is wrong. It knows that junit is not mispelled so why report that as a possible error? If it cannot find junit.jar, it should tell you that this is the case, and not bother you with other nonsense.

As a developer, I am not interested in tracking down every possible cause to a problem when the tool should be doing that for me. If a tool can give me the correct information to start with it should (and there is no reason that ant cannot provide this information) - and let me spend my time actually getting on with coding. If the developers of ant want their product to be used (even if it is free) they should realize this, instead of taking insult…

Yes, ant should figure out the problem for me. Its not being lazy - it is called being productive.

So you are a better developer who is more familiar with ant… congratulations… you may have the time to play with every setting until you find what works, but some of us actually have work to do, and deadlines to meet…

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