Ant won't import properties

Question

My build begins by defining 2 properties files, importing another build XML, and then commencing with all my other targets & tasks:

build.main.xml:

<project name="${proj.name}" default="assemble" basedir=".">
    <!-- BASIC CONFIGURATIONS -->
    <!-- Define build properties. -->
    <property file="build.main.properties"/>
    <property file="build.app.properties"/>

    <!-- Imports. -->
    <import file="${alt.build.file}"/>

    <!-- Rest of buildscript omitted for brevity... -->
</project>

build.app.properties:

proj.name=test-proj
alt.build.file=build.app.xml

It seems that build.main.xml cannot seem to see/find any properties defined inside build.app.properties; specifically:

It cannot resolve ${proj.name}, and when I add the build.main.xml file to the Eclipse Ant view, the name of the build shows up as ${proj.name}
It cannot find build.app.xml imported from build.main.xml

What's going on here? Do ant builds only get to import one properties file or something?!? Where could I start troubleshooting?

Edit: using Eclipse editor my buildscript does not have any red/highlighted syntax errors that might be causing the ant plugin to work incorrectly, etc.

Edit: I am noticing issues with properties defined inside the build.main.properties to. If I try to echo them they don't get noticed by Ant either...

Just a wild guess, but I think ant reads files sequential, so you need the property "proj.name" before you have imported the property file. And the filenames you have in the code don't match the filename you mention in your question (*.xml vs. *.properties). Have you checked that you are trying to import the right files? — Jochen

jabal jabal · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-12T12:28:38

The Ant project name cannot be itself a property for the reason Jochen mentioned in his comment.

Try running your script with the -v option to see more logging. I have used a technique very similar to your <import file="${alt.build.file}"/> to branch my script based on the db platform, so there should be no problem with it.

I wondered if your property files are in the same directory then your build script is.

Ant won't import properties

1 Answers