build.xml

<project name="name of project" default="compile" basedir=".">

  <property file="build.properties"/>
  <property file="${user.home}/build.properties"/>

  <property name="app.name"      value="myapp"/>
  <property name="app.path"      value="/${app.name}"/>
  <property name="app.version"   value="0.1-dev"/>
  <property name="build.home"    value="${basedir}/build"/>
  <property name="catalina.home" value="../../../.."/> <!-- UPDATE THIS! -->
  <property name="dist.home"     value="${basedir}/dist"/>
  <property name="docs.home"     value="${basedir}/docs"/>
  <property name="manager.url"   value="http://localhost:8080/manager"/>
  <property name="src.home"      value="${basedir}/src"/>
  <property name="web.home"      value="${basedir}/web"/>

  <taskdef name="deploy"   classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.DeployTask"/>
  <taskdef name="list"     classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.ListTask"/>
  <taskdef name="reload"   classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.ReloadTask"/>
  <taskdef name="undeploy" classname="org.apache.catalina.ant.UndeployTask"/>
  
  <property name="compile.debug"       value="true"/>
  <property name="compile.deprecation" value="false"/>
  <property name="compile.optimize"    value="true"/>

  <property name="compile.debug"       value="true"/>
  <property name="compile.deprecation" value="false"/>
  <property name="compile.optimize"    value="true"/>

  <path id="compile.classpath">

    <pathelement location="${catalina.home}/common/classes"/>

    <fileset dir="${catalina.home}/common/endorsed">
      <include name="*.jar"/>
    </fileset>

    <fileset dir="${catalina.home}/common/lib">
      <include name="*.jar"/>
    </fileset>

    <pathelement location="${catalina.home}/shared/classes"/>

    <fileset dir="${catalina.home}/shared/lib">
      <include name="*.jar"/>
    </fileset>

  </path>

  <target name="all" depends="clean,compile"
   description="Clean build and dist directories, then compile"/>

  <target name="clean"
   description="Delete old build and dist directories">
    <delete dir="${build.home}"/>
    <delete dir="${dist.home}"/>
  </target>

  <target name="compile" depends="prepare"
   description="Compile Java sources">

    <!-- Compile Java classes as necessary -->
    <mkdir    dir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/classes"/>
    <javac srcdir="${src.home}"
          destdir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/classes"
            debug="${compile.debug}"
      deprecation="${compile.deprecation}"
         optimize="${compile.optimize}">
        <classpath refid="compile.classpath"/>
    </javac>

    <!-- Copy application resources -->
    <copy  todir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/classes">
      <fileset dir="${src.home}" excludes="**/*.java"/>
    </copy>
  </target>

  <target name="dist" depends="compile,javadoc"
   description="Create binary distribution">

    <!-- Copy documentation subdirectories -->
    <mkdir   dir="${dist.home}/docs"/>
    <copy    todir="${dist.home}/docs">
      <fileset dir="${docs.home}"/>
    </copy>

    <!-- Create application JAR file -->
    <jar jarfile="${dist.home}/${app.name}-${app.version}.war"
         basedir="${build.home}"/>

    <!-- Copy additional files to ${dist.home} as necessary -->

  </target>

  <target name="install" depends="compile"
   description="Install application to servlet container">

    <deploy url="${manager.url}"
       username="${manager.username}"
       password="${manager.password}"
           path="${app.path}"
       localWar="file://${build.home}"/>

  </target>

  <target name="javadoc" depends="compile"
   description="Create Javadoc API documentation">

    <mkdir          dir="${dist.home}/docs/api"/>
    <javadoc sourcepath="${src.home}"
                destdir="${dist.home}/docs/api"
           packagenames="*">
      <classpath refid="compile.classpath"/>
    </javadoc>

  </target>

  <target name="list"
   description="List installed applications on servlet container">

    <list    url="${manager.url}"
        username="${manager.username}"
        password="${manager.password}"/>

  </target>

  <target name="prepare">

    <!-- Create build directories as needed -->
    <mkdir  dir="${build.home}"/>
    <mkdir  dir="${build.home}/WEB-INF"/>
    <mkdir  dir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/classes"/>

    <!-- Copy static content of this web application -->
    <copy todir="${build.home}">
      <fileset dir="${web.home}"/>
    </copy>

    <!-- Copy external dependencies as required -->
    <!-- *** CUSTOMIZE HERE AS REQUIRED BY YOUR APPLICATION *** -->
    <mkdir  dir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/lib"/>
<!--
    <copy todir="${build.home}/WEB-INF/lib" file="${foo.jar}"/>
-->

    <!-- Copy static files from external dependencies as needed -->
    <!-- *** CUSTOMIZE HERE AS REQUIRED BY YOUR APPLICATION *** -->

  </target>

</project>

ant -Dbasedir=c:\foo\bar

ant name-of-target

<project default="print_something">

  <target name="print_something" if="print_it">
    <echo message="print_it was set" />
  </target>
</project>

ant -f target_if.xml

Buildfile: target_if.xml

print_something:

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

ant -f target_if.xml -Dprint_it=1

Buildfile: target_if.xml

print_something:
     [echo] print_it was set

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

<project default="print_something">
  <target name="print_something">
    <echo message="Here's a secret message" />
  </target>
</project>

Buildfile: echo.xml

print_something:
     [echo] Here's a secret message

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

<project default="print_something">

  <property name="foo" value="bar"/>

  <target name="print_something">
    <echo message="The value of foo is ${foo}" />
  </target>
</project>

ant -f echo_property.xml

Buildfile: echo_property.xml

print_something:
     [echo] The value of foo is bar

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

ant -f echo_property.xml -Dfoo="overriding bar's default"

Buildfile: echo_property.xml

print_something:
     [echo] The value of foo is overriding bar's default

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds