Apache Ant 1.7.1

Apache Ant - Java-based build tool.

Apache Ant is a Java-based build tool. In theory, it is kind of like make, without make's wrinkles.

Make-like tools are inherently shell-based: they evaluate a set of dependencies, then execute commands not unlike what you would issue on a shell. This means that you can easily extend these tools by using or writing any program for the OS that you are working on; however, this also means that you limit yourself to the OS, or at least the OS type, such as Unix, that you are working on.

Ant is different. Instead of a model where it is extended with shell-based commands, Ant is extended using Java classes. Instead of writing shell commands, the configuration files are XML-based, calling out a target tree where various tasks get executed. Each task is run by an object that implements a particular Task interface.

Granted, this removes some of the expressive power that is inherent in being able to construct a shell command such as `find . -name foo -exec rm {}`, but it gives you the ability to be cross-platform--to work anywhere and everywhere.