Simple Apache Ant build system for web sites

Simple Apache Ant build system for websites. Gives easy way to professional deploys.

Simple Apache Ant build system helps Frontend developers compress their CSS and JavaScript (soon also HTML) files into professional package, ready for deploy on production environment. Moreover, it automatically updates deployed project version on each build, making sure your users get latest files loaded into their browsers once a new project version is released.

Builder contains customized Ant build script, YUI Compressor with its CSS minifier and JSLint - JavaScript code quality tool.

When to use?

Normally, only large projects teams, such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Thrives etc prepares automatic deployments and separates their development code from production one. They do it to achieve maintainability and easy debugging while developing.

Usually in development mode, JavaScript and CSS code is easily readable and understandable, maybe even stored in multiple files. However, when in production mode, it's packaged and compressed. That gives code security and additional performance. Large teams cares about every bit very much.

Simple build system gives a very easy way for any developer to learn how to compress JavaScript and CSS files into professional deployment package ready for production environment. Even working on small websites.

So, if you wish to deliver your Frontend code professionally, trying to achieve the best performance and speed your users deserved, Simple build system is there for you!

Environment needed

Currently builder is ready for PHP based projects, however I am looking forward to your contribution to expand it for Java based projects as well.

Apache Ant is needed to be installed on your computer, as it's going to perform stripping, packaging and compressing tasks.

How to use

Normally, professional teams try as much as possible to separate Backend code from Frontend, keeping JavaScript, CSS and, quite often, even HTML* files aside from PHP source code. The sample PHP project included into the builder does so as well.

Root assets/ directory holds 2 sub-directories, where development and production Frontend resources are kept separated. Production part is updated automatically on every new build, however development/ folder is the one, where working source code is actually kept: project JavaScript files are saved in assets/development/scripts/ folder and CSS ones - in assets/development/styles/, accordingly.

As well, project has its root core.php file, which holds all basic configurations needed to make separation between development and production versions. When in production, just put define('DEVELOPMENT', false); and latest deploy source files from assets/production/ folder will be loaded.

* When HTML is kept separated from Backend source code, usually it's made through templating frameworks.

Making deploys

When development came to a "ready" stage, it's time to make a production build of your JavaScript, CSS files. Build script assets/development/build/build.xml file holds all the basic Apache Ant tasks, executed in predefined order and explained with comprehensive comments.

Ready?!

First, open terminal (on Mac) and navigate to your project assets/development/build/ folder:

cd /workspace/apache-ant-deploys-builder/assets/development/build/

Run Ant execution command:

ant build

Building will start immediately. And in a moment, Ant is going to finish processing with a message ''BUILD SUCCESSFUL''. Means, actually, your project Frontend build is ready to be deployed on production environment.

Deploying to production environment

Make sure, DEVEVELOPMENT constant is set to false in your root core.php file;
Copy all your local root files and folders into production server, expect assets/development/ folder - it's not a good practice to publish your development source code on production server.

That's it! Professional production deploy is ready. And your users doesn't need to clear browser cache, because the deploy will be loaded as a new version. Check root index.php file for more information on JavaScript and CSS files loading when DEVELOPMENT constant is set to false in root core.php file.

Try, play, join

Fork! Try it, make some errors in build process, learn Apache Ant, solve build errors, make a couple of success builds, deploy to production server several times, investigate build/macros.xml to see how build libraries are included, ask some questions, add more libraries, you might think, could be interesting for people, create some Ant tasks in build/build.xml, polish them, contribute your updates...

Anyone and everyone is welcome to contribute!

Useful to have a look

TODOS

Planning to include HTML code cleaning tasks.

Credits

Author: Nik Sumeiko, http://manakor.org
build/macros.xml initial developer: Eric Brechemier

niksumeiko / simple-apache-ant-build-system