org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs

Class Property

  • All Implemented Interfaces:
    java.lang.Cloneable


    public class Property
    extends Task

    Sets a property by name, or set of properties (from file or resource) in the project.

    Properties are immutable: whoever sets a property first freezes it for the rest of the build; they are most definitely not variable.

    There are seven ways to set properties:

    • By supplying both the name and value attribute.
    • By supplying the name and nested text.
    • By supplying both the name and refid attribute.
    • By setting the file attribute with the filename of the property file to load. This property file has the format as defined by the file used in the class java.util.Properties.
    • By setting the url attribute with the url from which to load the properties. This url must be directed to a file that has the format as defined by the file used in the class java.util.Properties.
    • By setting the resource attribute with the resource name of the property file to load. This property file has the format as defined by the file used in the class java.util.Properties.
    • By setting the environment attribute with a prefix to use. Properties will be defined for every environment variable by prefixing the supplied name and a period to the name of the variable.
    • By setting the runtime attribute with a prefix to use. Properties prefix.availableProcessors, prefix.freeMemory, prefix.totalMemory and prefix.maxMemory will be defined with values that correspond to the corresponding methods of the Runtime class.

    Although combinations of these ways are possible, only one should be used at a time. Problems might occur with the order in which properties are set, for instance.

    The value part of the properties being set, might contain references to other properties. These references are resolved at the time these properties are set. This also holds for properties loaded from a property file.

    Properties are case sensitive.
    Since:
    Ant 1.1
    • Field Detail

      • name

        protected java.lang.String name
      • value

        protected java.lang.String value
      • file

        protected java.io.File file
      • url

        protected java.net.URL url
      • resource

        protected java.lang.String resource
      • classpath

        protected Path classpath
      • env

        protected java.lang.String env
      • prefix

        protected java.lang.String prefix
      • userProperty

        protected boolean userProperty
    • Constructor Detail

      • Property

        public Property()
        Constructor for Property.
      • Property

        protected Property(boolean userProperty)
        Constructor for Property.
        Parameters:
        userProperty - if true this is a user property
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
      • Property

        protected Property(boolean userProperty,
                           Project fallback)
        Constructor for Property.
        Parameters:
        userProperty - if true this is a user property
        fallback - a project to use to look for references if the reference is not in the current project
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
    • Method Detail

      • setRelative

        public void setRelative(boolean relative)
        Sets 'relative' attribute.
        Parameters:
        relative - new value
        Since:
        Ant 1.8.0
      • setBasedir

        public void setBasedir(java.io.File basedir)
        Sets 'basedir' attribute.
        Parameters:
        basedir - new value
        Since:
        Ant 1.8.0
      • setName

        public void setName(java.lang.String name)
        The name of the property to set.
        Parameters:
        name - property name
      • getName

        public java.lang.String getName()
        Get the property name.
        Returns:
        the property name
      • setLocation

        public void setLocation(java.io.File location)
        Sets the property to the absolute filename of the given file. If the value of this attribute is an absolute path, it is left unchanged (with / and \ characters converted to the current platforms conventions). Otherwise it is taken as a path relative to the project's basedir and expanded.
        Parameters:
        location - path to set
      • setValue

        public void setValue(java.lang.Object value)
        Set the value of the property.
        Parameters:
        value - the value to use.
      • setValue

        public void setValue(java.lang.String value)
        Set the value of the property as a String.
        Parameters:
        value - value to assign
      • addText

        public void addText(java.lang.String msg)
        Set a (multiline) property as nested text.
        Parameters:
        msg - the text to append to the output text
        Since:
        Ant 1.8.0
      • getValue

        public java.lang.String getValue()
        Get the property value.
        Returns:
        the property value
      • setFile

        public void setFile(java.io.File file)
        Filename of a property file to load.
        Parameters:
        file - filename
      • getFile

        public java.io.File getFile()
        Get the file attribute.
        Returns:
        the file attribute
      • setUrl

        public void setUrl(java.net.URL url)
        The url from which to load properties.
        Parameters:
        url - url string
      • getUrl

        public java.net.URL getUrl()
        Get the url attribute.
        Returns:
        the url attribute
      • setPrefix

        public void setPrefix(java.lang.String prefix)
        Prefix to apply to properties loaded using file or resource. A "." is appended to the prefix if not specified.
        Parameters:
        prefix - prefix string
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
      • getPrefix

        public java.lang.String getPrefix()
        Get the prefix attribute.
        Returns:
        the prefix attribute
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
      • setPrefixValues

        public void setPrefixValues(boolean b)
        Whether to apply the prefix when expanding properties on the right hand side of a properties file as well.
        Parameters:
        b - boolean
        Since:
        Ant 1.8.2
      • getPrefixValues

        public boolean getPrefixValues()
        Whether to apply the prefix when expanding properties on the right hand side of a properties file as well.
        Returns:
        boolean
        Since:
        Ant 1.8.2
      • setRefid

        public void setRefid(Reference ref)
        Sets a reference to an Ant datatype declared elsewhere. Only yields reasonable results for references PATH like structures or properties.
        Parameters:
        ref - reference
      • getRefid

        public Reference getRefid()
        Get the refid attribute.
        Returns:
        the refid attribute
      • setResource

        public void setResource(java.lang.String resource)
        The resource name of a property file to load
        Parameters:
        resource - resource on classpath
      • getResource

        public java.lang.String getResource()
        Get the resource attribute.
        Returns:
        the resource attribute
      • setEnvironment

        public void setEnvironment(java.lang.String env)
        Prefix to use when retrieving environment variables. Thus if you specify environment="myenv" you will be able to access OS-specific environment variables via property names "myenv.PATH" or "myenv.TERM".

        Note that if you supply a property name with a final "." it will not be doubled. ie environment="myenv." will still allow access of environment variables through "myenv.PATH" and "myenv.TERM". This functionality is currently only implemented on select platforms. Feel free to send patches to increase the number of platforms this functionality is supported on ;).

        Note also that properties are case sensitive, even if the environment variables on your operating system are not, e.g. it will be ${env.Path} not ${env.PATH} on Windows 2000.
        Parameters:
        env - prefix
      • getEnvironment

        public java.lang.String getEnvironment()
        Get the environment attribute.
        Returns:
        the environment attribute
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
      • setRuntime

        public void setRuntime(java.lang.String prefix)
        Prefix to use when retrieving Runtime properties.

        Properties prefix.availableProcessors, prefix.freeMemory, prefix.totalMemory and prefix.maxMemory will be defined with values that correspond to the corresponding methods of the Runtime class.

        Note that if you supply a prefix name with a final "." it will not be doubled. ie runtime="myrt." will still allow access of property through "myrt.availableProcessors" and "myrt.freeMemory".

        The property values are snapshots taken at the point in time when the property has been executed.

        Parameters:
        prefix - prefix
        Since:
        Ant 1.9.12
      • getRuntime

        public java.lang.String getRuntime()
        Get the runtime attribute.
        Returns:
        the runtime attribute
        Since:
        Ant 1.9.12
      • setClasspath

        public void setClasspath(Path classpath)
        The classpath to use when looking up a resource.
        Parameters:
        classpath - to add to any existing classpath
      • createClasspath

        public Path createClasspath()
        The classpath to use when looking up a resource.
        Returns:
        a path to be configured
      • setClasspathRef

        public void setClasspathRef(Reference r)
        the classpath to use when looking up a resource, given as reference to a <path> defined elsewhere
        Parameters:
        r - a reference to a classpath
      • getClasspath

        public Path getClasspath()
        Get the classpath used when looking up a resource.
        Returns:
        the classpath
        Since:
        Ant 1.5
      • setUserProperty

        @Deprecated
        public void setUserProperty(boolean userProperty)
        Deprecated. since 1.5.x. This was never a supported feature and has been deprecated without replacement.
        Parameters:
        userProperty - ignored
      • toString

        public java.lang.String toString()
        get the value of this property
        Overrides:
        toString in class java.lang.Object
        Returns:
        the current value or the empty string
      • execute

        public void execute()
                     throws BuildException
        set the property in the project to the value. if the task was give a file, resource, env or runtime attribute here is where it is loaded
        Overrides:
        execute in class Task
        Throws:
        BuildException - on error
      • loadUrl

        protected void loadUrl(java.net.URL url)
                        throws BuildException
        load properties from a url
        Parameters:
        url - url to load from
        Throws:
        BuildException - on error
      • loadFile

        protected void loadFile(java.io.File file)
                         throws BuildException
        load properties from a file
        Parameters:
        file - file to load
        Throws:
        BuildException - on error
      • loadResource

        protected void loadResource(java.lang.String name)
        load properties from a resource in the current classpath
        Parameters:
        name - name of resource to load
      • loadEnvironment

        protected void loadEnvironment(java.lang.String prefix)
        load the environment values
        Parameters:
        prefix - prefix to place before them
      • loadRuntime

        protected void loadRuntime(java.lang.String prefix)
        load the runtime values
        Parameters:
        prefix - prefix to place before them
        Since:
        1.9.12
      • addProperties

        protected void addProperties(java.util.Properties props)
        iterate through a set of properties, resolve them then assign them
        Parameters:
        props - the properties to iterate over
      • addProperty

        protected void addProperty(java.lang.String n,
                                   java.lang.String v)
        add a name value pair to the project property set
        Parameters:
        n - name of property
        v - value to set
      • addProperty

        protected void addProperty(java.lang.String n,
                                   java.lang.Object v)
        add a name value pair to the project property set
        Parameters:
        n - name of property
        v - value to set
        Since:
        Ant 1.8