Problem with build.xml (not compiling)

Question

Hi
I am not sure if this is an ANT specific question or a general XML question. DO forgive me for being naive
I wrote this ant build.xml file for my web applications and I find that it simply refuses to compile any classes. I am sure I am doing something wrong
<project basedir="." default="PortalMar23">
<target name="PortalMar23"/>
  <property name="src.dir" value="src"></property>
  <property name="build.dir" value="${basedir}/build"></property>
  <property name="build.lib" value="${build.dir}/lib"></property>
   <property name="dist.dir" value="dist"></property>
  <property name="classes.dir" value="${build.dir}/classes"></property>
  <property name="build.etc" value="${src.dir}/etc"></property>
  <property name="build.resources" value="${src.dir}/resources"></property>
  <property name="lib.dir" value="lib"></property>
  <property name="web-inf.dir" value="WEB-INF"></property>
  <property name="war.name" value="concepts"></property>
  <property file="../common.properties"></property> 
<!-- Main Target -->
  <target name="init">
    <mkdir dir="${build.dir}"></mkdir>
    <mkdir dir="${classes.dir}"></mkdir>
    <mkdir dir="${dist.dir}"></mkdir>
  </target>
  <target  name="compile" depends="init">
     <javac classpath="${libs}" compiler="${compiler}" debug="off" deprecation="on" destdir="${classes.dir}" optimize="on" srcdir="${src.dir}">
  <include name="org/apache/commons/fileupload/**/*.java"></include>
  <include name="com/portalbook/portlets/**/*.java"></include>
  <include name="com/portalbook/portlets/content/**/*.java"></include>
  </javac>
  </target>
  <!--
  <target depends="init" name="compile">
    <javac debug="true" deprecation="true" destdir="${classes.dir}" optimize="false">
      <src>
        <pathelement location="${src.dir}"></pathelement>
      </src>
      <classpath>
        <fileset dir="${lib.dir}">
          <include name="*.jar">
          </include>
        </fileset>
        </classpath>
    </javac>
  </target>
  -->
  <target  name="buildwar" depends="compile, init">
    <war destfile="${dist.dir}/${war.name}.war" webxml="WEB-INF/web.xml">
         <classes dir="${classes.dir}"></classes>
         <lib dir="${lib.dir}"></lib>
         <webinf dir="${web-inf.dir}"></webinf>
    </war>
  </target>
  <!-- create concepts-lib.jar  -->
  <jar jarfile="${build.lib}/concepts-lib.jar">
    <fileset dir="${classes.dir}"></fileset>
   </jar>
   <!-- create concepts.war -->
   <jar jarfile="${build.lib}/concepts.war" manifest="${build.etc}/concepts-war.mf">
   <fileset dir="${build.resources}/concepts-war"></fileset>
   </jar>
   <!-- concepts.ear -->
   <copy todir="${build.resources}/concepts-ear">
   <fileset dir="${build.lib}" includes="concepts.war,concepts-lib.jar">
   </fileset>
   </copy>
   <copy todir="${build.resources}/concepts-ear/META-INF">
   <fileset dir="${build.resources}/etc" includes="application.xml">
   </fileset>
   </copy>
   <jar jarfile="${build.lib}/concepts.ear">
   <fileset dir="${build.resources}/concepts-ear" includes="concepts.war,concepts-lib.jar">
   </fileset>
   </jar>
    <target depends="init, compile, buildwar" name="explode">
  <taskdef classname="org.jboss.nukes.common.ant.Explode" classpath="${libs}" name="explode"></taskdef>
  <explode file="${build.lib}/concepts.ear" name="concepts.ear" todir="${build.lib}/exploded"></explode>
  </target>
  <target name="clean">
    <delete dir="${build.dir}">
    </delete>
    <delete dir="${dist.dir}">
    </delete>
  </target>
</project>------------------
Could anybody help me out on this?
thanks a lot

Answer 1

Well, it could be because the compile target is a comment..
Remove the <!-- before the compile step and the "-->" after it.
Then, Ant will see the step, and either compile your programs, or give you errors about them.
Dave Patterson