Apache Ant doesn't work on top of a shell like the aforementioned projects, but on top of Java itself.
Ant can be used to allow administrators to manage various facets of their projects using a XML-based configuration file.
This file can be used to store various operations and commands that are executed when the file is run.
Ant operations, also known as tasks, can address various issues, from dependency management, to automation, or file manipulation.
Since it's not shell-based, Ant works on all platforms where Java can run, meaning "almost" everywhere.
What is new in this release:
- Initial support for Java 1.9.
- The possibility to run JUnit tests in multiple threads (when they are forked).
- The refactoring of Ant's own test suite which is now based on JUnit 4.
What is new in version 1.9.6:
- Initial support for Java 1.9.
- The possibility to run JUnit tests in multiple threads (when they are forked).
- The refactoring of Ant's own test suite which is now based on JUnit 4.
What is new in version 1.9.4:
- Initial support for Java 1.9.
- The possibility to run JUnit tests in multiple threads (when they are forked).
- The refactoring of Ant's own test suite which is now based on JUnit 4.
What is new in version 1.9.3:
- The main change is a fix for the speed of the exec task.
What is new in version 1.9.1:
- Zip64 extensions are disabled by default
- Loading of external dependencies fixed in JUnit tasks
- JUnitreport default stylesheets now compatible with JDK 1.7
- Recommending to upgrade to jsch 0.1.50 for users of the ssh/scp tasks under Java 1.7
- Other fixes and improvements documented in WHATSNEW
What is new in version 1.8.4:
- Ant 1.8.4 fixes a denial of service flaw in the <bzip2> task present in any version of Ant since Ant 1.5.
What is new in version 1.8.3:
- Version 1.8.3 is a bug fix release with small fixes and improvements across many tasks.
What is new in version 1.8.2:
- Performance improvements in directory scanning.
- XSLT task honors classpath again.
- Distinction between core tasks and optional tasks is abolished.
- Numerous bug fixes and improvements as documented in Bugzilla and in WHATSNEW.
What is new in version 1.8.1:
- New task augment allows to add attributes or nested elements to previously defined references.
- numerous bug fixes and improvements as documented in Bugzilla and in WHATSNEW.
What is new in version 1.8.0RC1:
- A new top level element extension-point allows build files to be extended with custom targets more easily
- If and unless attributes will be evaluated according to the values of the properties entered if these properties evaluate to true, false, on, off
- Ant now requires Java 1.4 or later
- New task include provides an alternative to <import> that should be preferred when you don't want to override any targets
- Numerous bug fixes and improvements as documented in Bugzilla and in WHATSNEW
Requirements:
- Java 1.5 or higher
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