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Ant: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

By Steve Holzner
Second Edition April 2005
Pages: 334
ISBN 10: 0-596-00609-8 | ISBN 13: 9780596006099

Book description

As the most widely used tool for cross-platform development, Ant has undergone a number of important changes in its functionality and use since its launch. Ant: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition has been reworked to reflect these changes for Java developers everywhere. Topics covered include everything from downloading and installing, to using Ant to build Web applications, to using Ant to test code.
Full Description

Soon after its launch, Ant succeeded in taking the Java world by storm, becoming the most widely used tool for building applications in Java environments. Like most popular technologies, Ant quickly went through a series of early revision cycles. With each new version, more functionality was added, and more complexity was introduced. Ant evolved from a simple-to-learn build tool into a full-fledged testing and deployment environment. Ant: The Definitive Guide has been reworked, revised and expanded upon to reflect this evolution. It documents the new ways that Ant is being applied, as well as the array of optional tasks that Ant supports. In fact, this new second edition covers everything about this extraordinary build management tool from downloading and installing, to using Ant to test code. Here are just of a few of the features you'll find detailed in this comprehensive, must-have guide:

Developing conditional builds, and handling error conditions
Automatically retrieving source code from version control systems
Using Ant with XML files
Using Ant with JavaServer Pages to build Web applications
Using Ant with Enterprise JavaBeans to build enterprise applications

Far exceeding its predecessor in terms of information and detail, Ant: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition is a must-have for Java developers unfamiliar with the latest advancements in Ant technology. With this book at your side, you'll soon be up to speed on the premiere tool for cross-platform development. Author Steve Holzner is an award-winning author who s been writing about Java topics since the language first appeared; his books have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

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Media reviews

"If you are an Ant user this title is an essential resource; if you are a Java developer and want to learn how to use Ant, this is the only place to begin."
-- Major Keary, Book News

"As a Java developer, I have admired its [Ant's] simple and intuitive interface and the modular design. So on getting Ant The Definitive Guide in my hands I wasn't expecting a whole lot new to learn, and thought of using it only as a reference book for occasional use. After having the book on my desk for more than a month, and occasionally reaching out to it and flipping through its pages whenever I would otherwise have consulted the online documentation, I must say that I was missing out on something very important: tasks like ftp and war deployment that I was simply not aware of and had never felt the need to lookup, but could very well use. The other interesting thing I noticed was that my build scripts became smaller, more modular and easier to read. ...Overall, I found this book by Steve Holzner to be comprehensive, well organized, easy to read and good value for money."
--Pankaj Kumar, Slashdot.org, July 2005

"The book provides a great way into Ant, showing how it can be used in a wide-range of environments to perform an even wider range of functions. For anyone looking to get the most out of Ant this is a great place to look for ideas and examples. "
--Tech Book Report, July 2005

"I have the first edition, which is more of a "how to use ant" book. The second edition is a "how to make ant useful" book... Well written and pretty comprehensive--whether you're already comfortable with ant or new to ant, this is definitely a great book to pick up."
--Eric Wuehler, Amazon.com, May 2005

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