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The ANT api manual can be found
here and is a good place for reference.
Best way to appreciate the ANT is by an example.
To create an ANT file just create a build.xml file (any xml file will do) in Eclipse, load it into the editor then press Alt + SHIFT + X then press Q to run the currently loaded ANT script in eclipse.
Here is one I made earlier
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project name="xasset Export" default="build" basedir="..">
<property name="exclude" value="**/.svn, docs/**, tests/**, build/**,
vpproject/**, **/*.psd, .cdtproject, .project,
**/*.bak, class/svn/cache/*, exports/**, help/**, **/*.zpj,
class/gateways/*.txt, class/gateways/IPG.php"/>
<property name="paypalPlugin" value="class/gateways/paypal.php"/>
<target name="build">
<!-- build the standard package-->
<zip destfile="exportsxasset.zip">
<zipfileset dir="." excludes= "${exclude},${paypalPlugin}" prefix="xasset"/>
<zipfileset dir="docs" includes="README.txt" fullpath="xasset/docs/README"/>
<zipfileset dir="help" includes="xasset.hlp" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
<zipfileset dir="help" includes="xasset.cnt" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
<zipfileset dir="class" includes="index.html" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
</zip>
<tar destfile="exportsxasset.tar">
<tarfileset dir="." excludes= "${exclude},${paypalPlugin}" prefix="xasset"/>
<tarfileset dir="docs" includes="README.txt" fullpath="xasset/docs/README"/>
<tarfileset dir="help" includes="xasset.hlp" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
<tarfileset dir="help" includes="xasset.cnt" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
<tarfileset dir="class" includes="index.html" prefix="xasset/docs"/>
</tar>
<bzip2 src="exportsxasset.tar" destfile="exportsxasset.tar.bz2"/>
<delete file="exportsxasset.tar"/>
</target>
<!-- build the paypal plugin -->
<zip destfile="exportspaypal.zip">
<zipfileset dir="class/gateways/" includes= "paypal.php"/>
<zipfileset dir="class/gateways/" includes="paypalREADME.txt" fullpath="README"/>
<zipfileset dir="class/gateways/" includes="paypalLICENSE.txt" fullpath="LICENSE"/>
</zip>
<tar destfile="exportspaypal.tar">
<tarfileset dir="class/gateways" includes= "paypal.php" />
<tarfileset dir="class/gateways" includes="paypalREADME.txt" fullpath="README"/>
<tarfileset dir="class/gateways" includes="paypalLICENSE.txt" fullpath="LICENSE"/>
</tar>
<bzip2 src="exportspaypal.tar" destfile="exportspaypal.tar.bz2"/>
<delete file="exportspaypal.tar"/>
</project>
The same logic can then be expanded to distribute files via FTP etc... There are almost no limits.*/