apache ant build files

Hi,

I am trying to output the timestamp after each step (target). When excuting the below build file by ant testtime i get the output:

Buildfile: build.xml

testdepend1:
     [echo] ****** Start: test depend 1 ******
     [echo] ****** Finish: test depend 1******
     [echo] 02/12/2009 11:58:07 AM

testdepend2:
     [echo] ****** Start: test depend 2 ******
     [echo] ****** Finish: test depend 2******
     [echo] 02/12/2009 11:58:07 AM

testdepend3:
     [echo] ****** Start: test depend 3 ******
     [echo] ****** Finish: test depend 3******
     [echo] 02/12/2009 11:58:07 AM

Execting the build file below:

  <target name="testdepend1" description="test depend1">
  <echo message="****** Start: test depend 1 ******" />
    <sleep seconds="10"/>
  <echo message="****** Finish: test depend 1******" />
   <echo>${TODAY_UK}</echo>   
 </target>

 <target name="testdepend2" description="test depend2">
  <echo message="****** Start: test depend 2 ******" />
   <sleep seconds="10"/>
  <echo message="****** Finish: test depend 2******" />
   <echo>${TODAY_UK}</echo>   
 </target>

 <target name="testdepend3" description="test depend3">
  <echo message="****** Start: test depend 3 ******" />
  <sleep seconds="10"/>
  <echo message="****** Finish: test depend 3******" />
   <echo>${TODAY_UK}</echo>   
 </target>

 <target name="testtime" depends="testdepend1, testdepend2, testdepend3" description="output a timestamp" />

Why do I get always the same timestamp ?

From stackoverflow

• Once evaluated, TODAY_UK will not be computed again.

  May be you should add at the beginning of your task something like:

  <tstamp>
    <format property="TODAY_UK" pattern="dd MMM yyyy HH.mm" locale="en_GB" />
  </tstamp> 
  <echo message="${TODAY} at ${TSTAMP}" />
  

  Using the Core Task tstamp

  ---

  You have this script to test in order to configure, then display a timestamps:

  <project name="tstamp_demo" basedir="." default="display">
      <target name="display" depends="tstamp" description="TSTAMP demo">
          <echo>DSTAMP: ${DSTAMP}</echo>
          <echo>TSTAMP: ${TSTAMP}</echo>
          <echo>TODAY: ${TODAY}</echo>
          <echo>TODAY_UK: ${TODAY_UK}</echo>
      </target>
  
  
      <target name="tstamp" description="Set DSTAMP/TSTAMP/TODAY, plus whatever in the body">
          <tstamp>
              <format property="TODAY_UK" pattern="d-MMMM-yyyy" locale="en,UK"/>
          </tstamp>
      </target>
  
      <target name="display.start" depends="tstamp.start" description="TSTAMP demo with prefix">
          <echo>start.DSTAMP: ${start.DSTAMP}</echo>
          <echo>start.TSTAMP: ${start.TSTAMP}</echo>
          <echo>start.TODAY: ${start.TODAY}</echo>
      </target>
  
      <target name="tstamp.start">
          <tstamp prefix="start"/>
      </target>
  </project>
  

• You get always the same timestamp because the property containing this value is evaluate only once. The proposition to add a '' at the beginning of the task will not help either because Ant will not update the value of the property.

  The solution I came up with is to define your own Ant task:

  public class StampedEcho extends Echo {
  
      private String message;
      private String pattern = "d-MMMM-yyyy";
      private Locale locale = Locale.US;
  
      public void setPattern(String pattern) { this.pattern = pattern; }
  
      public void setLocale(String locale) { this.locale = new Locale(locale); }
  
      @Override
      public void setMessage(String message) { this.message = message; }
  
      @Override
      public void execute() throws BuildException {
          String date = new SimpleDateFormat(this.pattern, this.locale).format(new Date());
          super.setMessage(date + (this.message == null ? "" : " " + this.message));
  
          super.execute();
      }
  }
  

  Then define an Antlib file (e.g. message-antlib.xml) to instantiate and invoke the class:

  <antlib>
      <macrodef name="tstamp">
          <attribute name="message" default=""/>
          <attribute name="pattern" default="HH:mm:ss"/>
          <attribute name="locale" default="en"/>
          <sequential>
              <!-- I suppose that the class is in Ant's classpath -->
              <taskdef name="tsecho" classname="StampedEcho"/>
  
              <tsecho message="@{message}" pattern="@{pattern}" locale="@{locale}"/>
          </sequential>
      </macrodef>
  </antlib>
  

  modify your build.xml file accordingly

  <project xmlns:msg="antlib:message">
      <typedef file="message-antlib.xml" uri="antlib:message"/>
  
      <target name="testing">
          <msg:tstamp/>
          <msg:tstamp message="start"/>
          <msg:tstamp message="end" pattern="HH.mm" locale="en_GB"/>
      </target>
  </project>
  

  to get the following output:

  [tsecho] 21:46:20 
  [tsecho] 21:46:20 start
  [tsecho] 21.46 end
  

• why dont you use the antContrib ant listener check this out

  http://neopatel.blogspot.com/2009/09/timestamp-your-ant-build.html