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Apache AntWhat is it?-----------Ant is a Java based build tool. In theory it is kind of like "make"without makes wrinkles and with the full portability of pure java code.Why?----Why another build tool when there is already make, gnumake, nmake, jam,and others? Because all of those tools have limitations that its originalauthor couldn't live with when developing software across multiple platforms.Make-like tools are inherently shell based. They evaluate a set ofdependencies and then execute commands not unlike what you would issue on ashell. This means that you can easily extend these tools by using or writingany program for the OS that you are working on. However, this also means thatyou limit yourself to the OS, or at least the OS type such as Unix, that youare working on.Makefiles are inherently evil as well. Anybody who has worked on them for anytime has run into the dreaded tab problem. "Is my command not executingbecause I have a space in front of my tab!!!" said the original author of Antway too many times. Tools like Jam took care of this to a great degree, butstill use yet another format to use and remember.Ant is different. Instead a model where it is extended with shell basedcommands, it is extended using Java classes. Instead of writing shellcommands, the configuration files are XML based calling out a target treewhere various tasks get executed. Each task is run by an object whichimplements a particular Task interface.Granted, this removes some of the expressive power that is inherent by beingable to construct a shell command such as `find . -name foo -exec rm {}` butit gives you the ability to be cross platform. To work anywhere andeverywhere. And hey, if you really need to execute a shell command, Ant hasan exec rule that allows different commands to be executed based on the OSthat it is executing on.The Latest Version------------------Details of the latest version can be found on the Apache AntProject web site <http://ant.apache.org/>.Documentation-------------Documentation is available in HTML format, in the manual/ directory.For information about building and installing Ant, seemanual/install.htmlThe manual for the latest release of Ant is available online at<https://ant.apache.org/manual/index.html>.The latest version of the manual is available online at<https://rawgit.com/apache/ant/master/manual/index.html>.Licensing---------This software is licensed under the terms you may find in the filenamed "LICENSE" in this directory.This distribution includes cryptographic software. The country inwhich you currently reside may have restrictions on the import,possession, use, and/or re-export to another country, ofencryption software. BEFORE using any encryption software, pleasecheck your country's laws, regulations and policies concerning theimport, possession, or use, and re-export of encryption software, tosee if this is permitted. See <http://www.wassenaar.org/> for moreinformation.The U.S. Government Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry andSecurity (BIS), has classified this software as Export CommodityControl Number (ECCN) 5D002.C.1, which includes information securitysoftware using or performing cryptographic functions with asymmetricalgorithms. The form and manner of this Apache Software Foundationdistribution makes it eligible for export under the License ExceptionENC Technology Software Unrestricted (TSU) exception (see the BISExport Administration Regulations, Section 740.13) for both objectcode and source code.The following provides more details on the included cryptographicsoftware:For the SSH family of tasks (<sshexec> and <scp>) Ant requires theJSch <http://www.jcraft.com/jsch/index.html> library as well as theJava Cryptography extensions<http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/security/>. Ant does notinclude these libraries itself, but is designed to use them.Thanks for using Ant.The Apache Ant Project<http://ant.apache.org/>