In the last chapter we worked with <ivy:resolve>, which resolves the dependencies indicated in ivy.xml file and places the resolved modules in the cache. But it does not link the dependencies to the project build path. To expose the dependencies to the Java build path, Apache Ivy provides two Ant tasks .

• <ivy:cachepath> task

• <ivy:retrieve> task

Apache Ivy Cachepath Task

<ivy:cachepath> constructs an Ant classpath consisting of resolved artifacts in the cache.

In the sample project from the last chapter, Ant executed <ivy:resolve> which resolved commons-langs 2.6 module and placed the artifacts in the cache. To compile Java class files, Ant require a classpath that refers to the artifacts in the cache, and Ivy Cachepath task constructs the required classpath.

Modify build.xml as follows

build.xml

<project name="ivy example" default="compile" xmlns:ivy="antlib:org.apache.ivy.ant">
 <target name="resolve" description="resolve dependencies with ivy">
  <ivy:resolve />
  <ivy:cachepath pathid="default.classpath" />
 </target>
 <target name="compile" depends="resolve" description="Compile">
  <mkdir dir="build/classes" />
  <javac srcdir="src" destdir="build/classes">
   <classpath refid="default.classpath" />
  </javac>
 </target>
</project>

In the resolve target, we have added <ivy:cachepath pathid=“default.classpath” /> after <ivy:resolve>. After a successful resolve, Ivy constructs Ant classpath named default.classpath. This classpath points to the resolved artifacts in the cache and in sample project it points commons-lang.jar in cache. Next in <javac> task, we refer default.classpath through attribute refid. When Ant executes <javac> task it finds resolved artifacts in the classpath and compile goes through.

Artifacts location

It is important to note that, neither <ivy:cachepath> nor <ivy:resolve> copy the artifacts from cache to the project workspace. Artifacts continue to be in the cache. and <ivy:cachepath> simply constructs a classpath that points to artifacts in the cache.

In case, task <ivy:cachepath> is called directly without a <ivy:resolve> then <ivy:resolve> is internally called before executing <ivy:cachepath>

Apache Ivy Retrieve Task

Instead of <ivy:cachepath> task, better approach is to copy the dependencies to the project workspace and use the standard Ant classpath mechanism to build the project. Apache Ivy Retrieve task comes handy to do that.

Task <ivy:retrieve> copies resolved dependencies to a specified location in the project workspace.

Modify build.xml as follows

build.xml

<project name="ivy example" default="retrieve" xmlns:ivy="antlib:org.apache.ivy.ant">
 <target name="retrieve" description="Resolve and Retrieve with ivy">
  <ivy:resolve />
  <ivy:retrieve sync="true" type="jar" />
 </target>
</project>

We have added <ivy:retrieve sync=“true” type=“jar” /> after <ivy:resolve> which instructs Ivy to copy the resolved artifacts from cache to lib directory within the project workspace. Ivy will create the lib directory if it is not there.

Important attributes that are used in this task are

• Sync set to true will ensure that any extra files in the lib directory is deleted.

• Type set to jar tells ivy to copy only jar artifacts. Source and javadoc artifacts are ignored.

Types

Frequently used types are jar for jar artifact, src or source for Java source artifact and doc for javadoc artifact. But some modules like log4j, refer jar artifacts as bundle instead of jar. To include log4j artifacts, you need to change the type attribute to <ivy:retrieve sync="true" type="jar,bundle" />

In case <ivy:retrieve> is called directly without a <ivy:resolve>, then <ivy:resolve> is internally called before retrieving the artifacts.

Once the dependencies are in project workspace, use standard ant path creation to build the project.

Ivy Retrieve Pattern

By default <ivy:retrieve> places the retrieved artifacts in lib directory of the project and may change this by using Ivy Retrieve pattern attribute.

<ivy:retrieve sync="true" type="jar" pattern="myfolder/[artifact]-[revision].[ext]" />

Attribute pattern tells Ivy Retrieve to copy the artifacts to myfolder directory. The next chapter covers other aspects of the pattern.