How to derive a relative path using Ant

ant, apache-flex, mxmlc, path

Solution

My build files have evolved a bit since I posted, but I've resolved the problem. I believe the following would work correctly in the basic setup previously described:

Add this to the default target in the sub project's build.xml

<path id="build.path">
   <pathelement location="." />
</path>
<pathconvert property="build.dir" refid="build.path">
    <map from="${project.root.dir}" to="${project.root.dir}/bin-debug"/>
</pathconvert>

Problem

I'm using Ant and mxmlc to compile ActionScript classes and MXML into swfs, while maintaining the default organization of a Flex Builder (Flash Builder) project. Many of my ActionScript classes are in project subdirectories, so my project is organized like the following: ``` MyBigProject -build-imports.xml -build.xml -bin-debug --src ---flash ---app ----CoolWidget1.swf ---Main.swf --test -src --flash ---app ----build-imports.xml ----build.xml ----CoolWidget1.as --build-imports.xml --build.xml --Main.mxml -test ``` This directory structure maintains the default directory structure of a Flash Builder project so I can perform push-button builds from the Flash Builder IDE. I've added the Ant build xml's to this project so I can also build from the command line. I'm trying to create portable ant build scripts that require the least changes to reuse in other projects. I have everything like I want except for deriving relative paths. The build-imports.xml file at the root of the project contains the following: ``` <project name="project.root.imports"> <dirname property="project.root.dir" file="${ant.file.project.root.imports}"/> </project> ``` While the sub project folders contain build-imports.xml with the following: ``` <project name="MyBigProject.src.flash.app.imports"> <import file="../build-imports.xml" /> </project> ``` Notice that sub project build-imports.xml walks up the directory hiearchy till it gets to the root build-imports.xml, and there I set the project.root.dir. I can then use the ${project.root.dir}/bin-debug to specify where to place my binaries. The only problem I have, is I do not know how to create the same directory structure as what lies under my src folder. I need to be able to derive a relative path or perform some string manipulation to create new directorys. Considering the above information, how do I take a known path like: ${project.root.dir}/src/app and derive a directory path like: ${project.root.dir}/bin-debug/app I've found some information about the Ant-contribu propertyregex task, which would allow some string manipulation, but I'm hoping there is an Ant guru out there that can point to a simple solution. I believe it's highly likely as an Ant novice, I'm simply overlooking the obvious.

Original source