Apache Ant is a Windows program that originated from the Apache Tomcat project. It lets users test, compile and deploy software for several operating systems.

Installation

It is necessary to set up some additional tools to run this package. First, the Java Run Environment has to be installed. The Java Development Kit is required as well.

Users are instructed to compile the utility by themselves following the directions from the manual. After integrating Apache Ant into the system, users can check that it is working by typing “ant” in the command line window.

The package is intended for building Java-based software. For creating web apps users can download CakePHP.

Build automation

With this tool developers can efficiently process the code to find any errors and incompatibilities in it. The utility runs from the command line. The extensive instruction manual containing detailed descriptions of every available task is included with the program.

The software helps you to:

compile the code;
package the binaries;
deploy to the server;
test the changes.

There are also options for copying the code from one location to another. Repetitive commands can be automated. Moreover, the utility provides an interface for developing custom tasks.

Features

free to download and use;
lets users compile and test the code;
compatible with all modern versions of Windows;
intended to build Java-based applications;
has an extensive instruction manual.