Can't run "preverify.exe" using Ant's <exec> task

Question

I am having trouble getting my Ant script (for BlackBerry build) to run the preverify.exe command & pass the correct parameters to it.

---

In the command prompt (Windows 7), this works 100% - the parameters as given work properly:

preverify -verbose -classpath C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar -d build\classes\preverified build\classes\preverified build\classes\unverified

I tried to put this into my Ant script using the following target - trying to use the same parameters:

<target name="preverify">
    <mkdir dir="${dest.dir}/classes/preverified" />
    <exec executable="${jde.home}/bin/preverify">
        <arg value="-verbose" />
        <arg value="-classpath C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar" />
        <arg value="-d build\classes\preverified" />
        <arg value="build\classes\unverified" />
    </exec>
</target>

This does not work. I get the following error:

Illegal option 
-classpath C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar

• this classpath was perfectly acceptable from the command line (often java commands accept JAR files as directories, since they are basically ZIP files).

---

How can I get Ant to send the correct parameters to this command, as in the command line version? There must be something about exec that I'm missing?

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Here is the full Ant output from running this target in verbose mode, if it helps:

Apache Ant(TM) version 1.8.2 compiled on December 20 2010
Trying the default build file: build.xml
Buildfile: C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi\build.xml
Detected Java version: 1.6 in: C:\Java\jdk1.6.0_24\jre
Detected OS: Windows 7
parsing buildfile C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi\build.xml with URI = file:/C:/development/ant/test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc/Cobi/build.xml
Project base dir set to: C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi
parsing buildfile jar:file:/C:/development/tools/apache-ant/lib/ant.jar!/org/apache/tools/ant/antlib.xml with URI = jar:file:/C:/development/tools/apache-ant/lib/ant.jar!/org/apache/tools/ant/antlib.xml from a zip file
Importing file C:\development\ant\common\constants.xml from C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi\build.xml
Overriding previous definition of reference to ant.projectHelper
parsing buildfile C:\development\ant\common\constants.xml with URI = file:/C:/development/ant/common/constants.xml
parsing buildfile jar:file:/C:/development/tools/bb-ant-tools/bb-ant-tools.jar!/bb-ant-defs.xml with URI = jar:file:/C:/development/tools/bb-ant-tools/bb-ant-tools.jar!/bb-ant-defs.xml from a zip file
Overriding previous definition of reference to ant.projectHelper
 [property] Loading C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi\project.properties
 [property] Loading C:\development\ant\common\jde5.0.properties
 [property] Loading C:\development\ant\common\common.properties
[pathconvert] Set property net_rim_api.jar.dos = C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar
Build sequence for target(s) `preverify' is [preverify]
Complete build sequence is [preverify, javac, build, sign, clean, ]

preverify:
    [mkdir] Skipping C:\development\ant\test_using_javac_jar_preverify_then_rapc\Cobi\build\classes\preverified because it already exists.
     [exec] Current OS is Windows 7
     [exec] Executing 'C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\bin\preverify' with arguments:
     [exec] '-verbose'
     [exec] '-classpath C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar'
     [exec] '-d build\classes\preverified'
     [exec] 'build\classes\unverified'
     [exec]
     [exec] The ' characters around the executable and arguments are
     [exec] not part of the command.
     [exec] preverify: Illegal option -classpath C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar
     [exec]
     [exec] Usage: preverify [options] classnames|dirnames ...
     [exec]
     [exec] where options include:
     [exec]    -classpath     <directories separated by ';'>
     [exec]                   Directories in which to look for classes
     [exec]    -d <directory> Directory in which output is written (default is ./output/)
     [exec]    -cldc1.0       Checks for existence of language features prohibited
     [exec]                   by CLDC 1.0 (native methods, floating point and finalizers)
     [exec]    -nofinalize    No finalizers allowed
     [exec]    -nonative      No native methods allowed
     [exec]    -nofp          No floating point operations allowed
     [exec]    @<filename>    Read command line arguments from a text file
     [exec]                   Command line arguments must all be on a single line
     [exec]                   Directory names must be enclosed in double quotes (")
     [exec]
     [exec] Result: 1

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 1 second

Answer 1

I solved this problem by including the jdk\bin directory path in environment variable PATH.

Answer 2

The way you are passing the parameters is incorrect. The space between the -classpath tag, and the JAR name is not allowed.

You must break that line (and the -d below it) onto 2 lines. This works:

    <exec executable="${jde.home}/bin/preverify">
        <arg value="-verbose" />
        <!-- classpath to the RIM api -->
        <arg value="-classpath" />
        <arg value="C:\development\tools\bb-jde\jde5.0\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar" />
        <!-- destination folder -->
        <arg value="-d" />
        <arg value="build\classes\preverified" />
        <!-- source folder -->
        <arg value="build\classes\unverified" />
    </exec>

Answer 3

This doesn't look like an ANT issue. The error message is being returned by the preverify command, proving that ANT is executing it...

I don't understand what this command is supposed to be doing, however the usage message gives a hint as to the root cause:

[exec] Usage: preverify [options] classnames|dirnames ...
[exec]
[exec] where options include:
[exec]    -classpath     <directories separated by ';'>
[exec]                   Directories in which to look for classes

You haven't specified a list of directories as the "classpath" parameter.... You've supplied a jar file. Is the command able support jar files?