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Apache Ant VS Please

Compare Apache Ant VS Please and see what are their differences

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Apache Ant logo Apache Ant

Apache Ant is a Java library and command-line tool whose mission is to drive processes described in build files as targets and extension points dependent upon each other.

Please logo Please

A Cross-Language Build System
  • Apache Ant Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08
  • Please Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-11

Apache Ant features and specs

  • Platform Independence
    Apache Ant is written in Java, making it platform-independent and capable of running on any system with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
  • Extensibility
    Ant is highly extensible, allowing developers to create custom tasks and integrate them into the build process, thus providing great flexibility.
  • Integration with IDEs
    Ant can be integrated with various IDEs such as Eclipse and NetBeans, providing developers with a seamless build and deployment experience.
  • XML-Based Configuration
    Using XML for configuration makes Ant scripts easily readable by both humans and machines, which aids in maintainability and collaboration.
  • Wide Adoption and Community Support
    Ant is widely adopted in the industry and enjoys a large and active community, providing ample resources, plugins, and troubleshooting support.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Ant

  • Complexity in Larger Projects
    As projects grow larger, Ant scripts can become complex and difficult to manage, potentially leading to maintenance challenges.
  • Verbose Syntax
    Ant's use of XML can result in verbose and lengthy build files, which might be cumbersome compared to more succinct scripting approaches.
  • Limited Support for Dependency Management
    Ant does not have native support for dependency management, in contrast to tools like Maven or Gradle, requiring additional configurations or plugins.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    For developers new to build automation, Ant's framework can present a steeper learning curve compared to some alternative tools.
  • Older Technology
    Ant is considered an older technology in comparison with modern build tools like Gradle, which might offer more features out of the box.

Please features and specs

  • Performance
    Please build offers high performance build speeds, which can significantly reduce build times compared to other tools. This is achieved through parallel execution and efficient incremental builds.
  • Flexibility
    Please is highly configurable and flexible, allowing developers to tailor the build system to fit a wide range of project requirements and workflows.
  • Cross-platform
    It supports cross-platform builds, enabling developers to use a single build system for projects targeting multiple operating systems.
  • Minimal Dependencies
    Please requires minimal external dependencies, which simplifies setup and reduces the potential for version conflicts and other dependency-related issues.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, Please allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the codebase, fostering a collaborative community environment.

Possible disadvantages of Please

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users might find Please build's configuration and scripting style challenging to learn, especially if they are not familiar with build systems.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more established build tools, Please has a smaller ecosystem, which might result in fewer plugins, integrations, and community resources.
  • Complex Configuration
    For certain projects, the configuration might become complex, requiring careful management to maintain readability and manageability of build scripts.
  • Less Popular
    Please is not as widely adopted as some other build systems, potentially leading to fewer examples and support resources available online.

Apache Ant videos

Apache ANT Tutorials for Beginners | ANT Build Process Automation 2

More videos:

Please videos

Chinese March: 请你检阅 - Please Review

More videos:

  • Review - Hong Kong March: 请你检阅 - Please Review (Instrumental)
  • Review - 请你检阅 (March «Please, review»)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Ant and Please)
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Action
0 0%
100% 100
Continuous Integration
100 100%
0% 0
Adventure
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Ant and Please

Apache Ant Reviews

35+ Of The Best CI/CD Tools: Organized By Category
Apache Ant (“Another Neat Tool”) is the oldest tool on this list and it can be considered a precursor to Maven. Just like Maven, it was written entirely in Java. ANT uses XML to define the code build process. While ANT is primarily a JAVA build tool, it can be used to define processes and build C++, C, and C# applications.

Please Reviews

We have no reviews of Please yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Please should be more popular than Apache Ant. It has been mentiond 12 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Ant mentions (6)

  • Want to Get Better at Java? Go Old School.
    I will not suggest truly old-school Java programming. When I started in Java, we built Java classes with the javac command. This led to writing shell scripts to build complex projects and finally, Makefiles using the Unix and Windows commands make and nmake respectively. I remember being thrilled when the Ant utility came out and we had a pure Java build tool. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • I am about to write my first code but god has a different plan.
    Didn't know that people still use Ant for building their source code. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • I am about to write my first code but god has a different plan.
    OP is just running this https://ant.apache.org/, nothing to worry about. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Better CI/CD caching with new-gen build systems
    A build system is a program that orchestrates the execution of underlying tools such as compilers, code generators, test runners, linters and so on. Examples of build systems include the venerable Make, the JVM-centric Ant, Maven and Gradle, and newer systems such as Pants and Bazel (full disclosure: I am one of the maintainers of Pants). - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • Build error when running 'nix build', running build steps by hand with 'nix develop' works
    You are missing a dependency: antlr. You have ant instead, which is something completely different. Source: almost 3 years ago
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Please mentions (12)

  • What I wish I knew about Python when I started
    Pip is a command line package manager that comes with Python, but it is definitely not the only package manager. Other tools like pipenv, poetry, pdm, conda, and even some third-party applications like please can all manage Python dependencies. One common mistake beginners make is installing Python, and then running pip install (or even worse, sudo pip install), before moving forward. While this works in the... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Top programming languages created in the 2010's on GitHub by stars
    I’m not sure a JS library qualifies as a PL. Or automation software (SoftStack). Or an API description language. Or a build system. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Just Use a Monorepo
    Regarding your first point, a good alternative to Bazel is [Please][https://please.build/] - its build graph can solve exactly this problem in CI. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Need to know about various distributed build tools available
    Checkout: https://please.build/ - CMake is not directly supported, but you can easily extend please.build to invoke cmake commands to build your targets. - It does supports both Windows(ehweee) and Linux - MIT - BONUS: it is fast. Really fast(||)! Single binary. It is also versatile. I am using it to build a repo with multiple programming languages(C++(Wasm),Go,Js, Flutter), while spinning up vagrant and... Source: over 2 years ago
  • When to Use Bazel?
    > the best way forward is to take the ideas of Bazel (hermetic and deterministic builds) and package them as a good small build system, perhaps even compatible with Bazel so you don't have to rewrite build rules all the time. How does https://please.build measure up? - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Ant and Please, you can also consider the following products

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