Apache Ant

 

Apache Ant is a Java based build tool. In theory it is kind of like make without make's wrinkles.

Why another build tool when there is already make, gnumake, nmake, jam, and others? [...] Ant is different. Instead of a model where it is extended with shell based commands, it is extended using Java classes. Instead of writing shell commands, the configuration files are XML based calling out a target tree where various tasks get executed. Each task is run by an object which implements a particular Task interface.

 
--The Ant Jakarta Project Web site 

Ant becomes the standard way to compile Java applications that are really platform independent. This way, you don't have to write a specific Makefile for Unix and another one for Windows. This applies to JOnAS but also to the application programmer. If you are not an Ant user yet, you should give it a try.

To install Ant on your machine, proceed as follows:

In order to use Ant, you'll have to update the ANT_HOME and PATH environment variables. Refer to the section called Configuring Ant in the chapter called Configuring your environment for more information about setting your environment for Ant.