ANT: The Java Build Tool In Practice (Charles River Media Programming) [Paperback]

Bernd Matzke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Charles River Media Programming | Publication Date: September 2003

Ant: The Java Build Tool in Practice is a desktop guide and reference for this Java-based application building tool. Beginning with an overview of Ant, including the basics of installation and file handling, you will find details on the syntax and basic descriptions of the core commands. Subsequent chapters take a pragmatic approach, grouping similar commands by subject, and then discussing them from a "practical use" point of view. Code examples are included throughout the text to illustrate the various capabilities of Ant, and to make learning quick and easy. The companion CD-ROM contains the latest version of Apache Ant and Jakarta Oro, in addition to all the source code from the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bernd Matzke has been a professional software developer for over 15 years. He currently serves as manager of research and development at Forcont Business Technology in Leipzig, Germany, and is prominently involved in the development of Forcont Factory, a Web-based tool for information logistics and management.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584502487
• ISBN-13: 978-1584502487
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,859,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor translation from the German, March 1, 2005

By 

T. Hill - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ANT: The Java Build Tool In Practice (Charles River Media Programming) (Paperback)

I *think* this is actually quite a good book in the original German, but the English translation is a joke -- almost bad enough to appear as if done by a computer. This is not just a quibble, since the text is do bad that it's almost impossible to follow the meaning. Here's some examples from Chapter 2 (and it's *all* like this)...

"Some of the tags which are normally embedded in single commands can first be noted separately and subsequently referenced..."

"Of itself, this element engenders no action. Later it will be bundled from other commands."

"It contains the class path which will be picked out by the system variables of the same name. Now the first target will be constructed at once. It contains the name main. Thus, it will be called during the start of the build file, since main will likewise be specified as a default target there."


Er, what?

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of good code samples, April 17, 2006

By 

Pen Name "whiteaura" (milpitas, ca USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ANT: The Java Build Tool In Practice (Charles River Media Programming) (Paperback)

Interpretation problem? That would explain the less than perfect English in this book. It is not a terrible book but it is disappointing that it was not edited properly. Its easy to bash this book for not meeting publishing standards, but I give it 3 stars because you will definitely learn a lot of Ant. Lots and lots of good, short examples matching the CD. The book seems to have very good coverage/expertise on the technology. It is too bad that the grammar is not perfect, otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to give it 4 stars. So, if you don't mind the stumbling/stammering grammar and you are a patient reader that can read between the lines then you may be impressed with how much you will learn. This book seems to be targeted for the beginner or intermediate. Its more of a reading book and less of a reference book. I think this book is based on Ant 1.5.x.