Python Script has no effect on Apache Ant Build

Question

I have an ant build file: build.xml, with an existing build target: Rebuild-ALL. that I run from ant eclipse plugin.

The build file contains paths referenced from another file: file.def.

I would like to create a new build target that builds from another path. I started by doing the following:

1. Creating a python script that modifies the path in file.def.

2. I added this script to a target: Change-Paths.

3. I created a copy of the existing build target: Copy1-Rebuild-ALL

4. I added my Change-Paths target to the depends of the Copy-Rebuild-ALL.

5. I also created a second python script to revert the path change in file.def and repeated steps 2 to 4 to have another 2 targets: Revert-Paths and Copy2-Rebuild-ALL.

The problem is that the second build target still takes the path of the first build target even though I can see on my editor that the python script has successfully replaced the paths.

After executing the second target 3 consecutive times it works fine so is there maybe a refresh or a delay I can add to fix this ?

I tried using ant calls instead of depends but still the same issue occurs.

I am still new to ant and build files in general so let me know if there's a better way to do this.

Here is a an example to my build.xml file:

<project name="Build" xmlns:if="ant:if" xmlns:unless="ant:unless" default="REBUILD_ALL" basedir="${ant.file}/../../../..">

<property file="${TOOLS.PATH}/Compiler/file.def" />

<property name="COMPILER"          value="${VENDOR.COMPILER}" />

<target name="Change-Paths">
    <exec executable="${python.exe}" dir="${basedir}" failonerror="true" inputstring="${TOOLS.PATH}/Compiler/file.def">
        <arg line="${SCRIPTS.PATH}/Change_Paths.py" />
    </exec>
</target>

<target name="Copy1-Rebuild-ALL" description="Build all files from the project to output executable files" depends="Change-Paths, BuildMakesParallel, LINK_ALL">
</target>

<target name="Revert-Paths">
    <exec executable="${python.exe}" dir="${basedir}" failonerror="true" inputstring="${TOOLS.PATH}/Compiler/file.def">
        <arg line="${SCRIPTS.PATH}/Revert_Paths.py" />
    </exec>
</target>

<target name="Copy2-Rebuild-ALL" description="Build all files from the project to output executable files" depends="Revert-Paths, BuildMakesParallel, LINK_ALL">
</target>

</project>

Also here is an example to file.def:

VENDOR_PATH      = c:/VENDOR/toolchains/compiler_name/v1
VENDOR.COMPILER       =    ${VENDOR_PATH}/bin/compiler_name-gcc.exe

Answer 1

I permanently added the new path in file.def and added a new property in build.xml to hold this path as follows:

VENDOR_PATH_2      = c:/VENDOR/toolchains/compiler_name/v2
VENDOR.COMPILER_2       =    ${VENDOR_PATH_2}/bin/compiler_name-gcc.exe

Now the python script will only replace the property name in the macro that compiles files in the build target and it works as expected.