How to run ANT script from .BAT/.CMD?¶

| tool | java |

Imagine you need to call ANT script from BAT/CMD file.
Ant script:

<project default="bat-test" name="Blog">
    <target description="check ant run" name="bat-test">
        <echo message="Message from ANT"> </echo>
    </target>
</project>

And here is BAT file:

@echo off  
echo BAT - Before Ant run  
ant -f build.xml  
echo BAT - After Ant run  

Unfortunately, when you run this BAT you get the next output:

BAT - Before Ant run  
Buildfile: D:\\Projects\\blog\\build.xml  

bat-test:  
     [echo] Message from ANT  

BUILD SUCCESSFUL  
Total time: 0 seconds  

So, where is the "BAT - After Ant run" echo message?

The problem is that Ant on Windows executed via ant.bat file and based on this we’re calling one BAT file from another. We have to use CALL command to solve this issues, here is official note from CALL help:

 Calls one batch program from another.  
 CALL [drive:][path]filename [batch-parameters]  
 batch-parameters   Specifies any command-line information required by the batch program.

And, here is the update BAT file:

@echo off  
echo BAT - Before Ant run  
call ant -f build.xml  
echo BAT - After Ant run