ant - How to invoke a macrodef from within another file -

i wrote small macrodef in separate file:

macrodefs.xml

<macrodef name="do-cool-stuff">   <attribute name="message"/>    <sequential>     <echo message="@{message}" />   </sequential> </macrodef> 

i got second file, main build file:

build.xml

<target name="build">   <!-- , -->    <!-- cheking out macrodefs.xml via cvs -->    <ant antfile="macrodefs.xml" target="do-cool-stuff" >     <property name="message" value="hello, world!" />   </ant> </target> 

as might guess dosen't work. error message like:

target 'do-cool-stuff' not exist in project. 

the possible solution found provide target in macrodefs.xml forward ant calls.

is there possibility invoke macrodef within file?

thanks in advance.

you can import file , use macro this:

<import file="macrodefs.xml" /> <do-cool-stuff message="hello, world!" /> 

note in macro definition should use @{curlybrackets} when referencing macro attributes:

<sequential>     <echo message="@{message}" /> </sequential> 

there examples @ end of ant macrodef task docs.

more

what you're trying isn't supported ant. ant , antcall tasks don't allow 'callee' affect caller directly. can write files in called task, load in caller. have observed, pre-process tasks import , include cannot called within target. ant/antcall tasks allow run targets in subsidiary builds, not macros.

one workaround method (this might similar 1 mention, allows put real work in top-level build) have inner buildfile includes top-level import of macrodefs.xml.

something following. macrodefs.xml file before. (but note imported files - including macro definitions - need complete ant project files, must include project element.)

build.xml:

<target name="build">     <!-- cvs actions -->     <ant antfile="inner-build.xml" target="target-runner">         <property name="target" value="top-target" />     </ant> </target>  <!-- target fail unless invoked inner build --> <target name="top-target">     <do-cool-stuff message="hello, world!" /> </target> 

inner-build.xml:

<project>     <import file="macrodefs.xml" />      <target name="target-runner">         <ant antfile="build.xml" target="${target}" />     </target> </project> 

effectively doing

build.xml --> inner-build.xml --> build.xml (again) (cvs)         (import macros)     (use macros) 

the inner buildfile potentially generated on-the-fly main build - if wanted import multiple macro definition files - that's getting perhaps unwieldy.