Somehow I don't like IDE very much,
but I don't find a particular good tool to build java applications from source yet.
I welcome all kinds of feedbacks!
+3
A:
Maven is another alternative, but I don't know that I'd call it "best".
Ant has the virtue of simplicity if used properly. I find Maven to be heavier and less penetrable.
duffymo
2010-05-05 12:08:22
+2
A:
Ant and Maven are to two alternatives that are usually used. What is considered best will differ from project to project and also often developer to developer also.
You several have other option like Gant and Gradle. My personl favorite is Gradle, since it uses Groovy syntax and offers the benefits of Maven without forcing you to do anything.
Jarle Hansen
2010-05-05 12:10:24
+2
A:
Besides ant, there's:
I use ant and maven; ant is fine for what it does, and maven… it's OK if you can manage to swallow how it works. No experience with the other two.
Donal Fellows
2010-05-05 12:12:11
+1
A:
If you are a masochist, you can use good old Make to build Java. Its what most folks used before Ant. But Ant is better. It is more powerful, more portable and (in my experience) quicker.
Stephen C
2010-05-05 12:26:49