views:

88

answers:

3

I am using Eclipse and have a few simple tasks(such as uploading files to a server) I would like to automate. Where should I be looking, is something like ANT applicable here? Any pointers appreciated.

+1  A: 

Maven is another solution. There are many mojos (custom plugins) for existing tasks that are highly configurable, or if you get stuck you can write your own.

The trade off is the setup and learning curve can be fairly steep, so I guess it boils down to what you need it for, if you'll reuse it, etc, etc.

javamonkey79
Maven is a build / dependency management tool for BIG projects. It most definitely is not something suitable for "a few simple tasks".
ChssPly76
I think that is a matter of opinion\subjective. But, as such, you are entitled to it.
javamonkey79
I've used Maven - I even somewhat liked it. But there's nothing subjective about "Ant is a lot easier to deal with than Maven if all you need is to perform a few simple tasks" statement, especially considering that Eclipse has a very nice built-in integration with Ant. You can google "maven ftp upload" vs "ant ftp upload" for a simple illustration.
ChssPly76
I'm not comparing Ant to Maven - heck I don't really even know Ant all that well. If you think it is the best solution, then post it. But I stand by my opinion that a project does not have to be huge to use maven.
javamonkey79
+2  A: 
VonC
I didn't even think of that, but I use External Tools backed with scripts quite a bit too - nice suggestion. +1
javamonkey79
+1  A: 

Eclipse Monkey is an atempt to make Eclipse scriptable to automate tedious tasks.

ftl