Java Build Tools

featuring Ant, Maven and Gradle

The Java Build Tools training course covers three of the leading tools used on professional Java projects.
Part 1 covers Ant. Ant is old but very widely used. This Ant Training shows how to build a sample project.
Part 2 covers Maven, a much more powerful tool than Ant. The Maven Training in the course shows how to use Maven Plugins and Lifecycles to full effect.
Part 3 covers Gradle. This is a much newer tool, less commonly used but an improvement over Maven. The Gradle Training builds the same project as parts 1 and 2, in much less time!
Each part covers a different tool and the parts can be done independently. Note however that for part 3, we assume at least basic knowledge of Ant and Maven so you may need to follow parts 1 and 2 first.

Pre-requisites

You'll need to understand the basics of Java, although there is no Java Programming on this course.

You MUST have a working internet connection for the Maven part of the course.

We build a full SpringMVC project, although you don't need to know any Spring - the topics covered would apply to any Java project.

Contents - contains over 9 hours of video - equivalent to 3 days of live training.

Having problems? check the errata for this course.

1	Introduction	Preview 22m 47s
We begin by explaining why a build tool is necessary for a project. We also set up your development environment (so don't miss this chapter!)
2	Part One - Introducing Ant	Preview 22m 6s
The oldest of all Java Build Tools, and perhaps the most commonly used. The Ant Training will take you from the very basics. We learn about Ant Tasks, and use the reference manual for the first time.
3	Compiling Java in Ant	Watch 42m 47s
How to sequence Ant Tasks; Defining Properties in Ant; Using Ant Filesets
4	Running Unit Tests in Ant	Watch 47m 28s
We add the add tasks to run JUnit tests in Ant; we also see how to generate a Unit Test report. Also Ant Wildcards and how to define Paths.
5	Javadocs and Running Java from Ant	Watch 35m 17s
We use the Ant Build Tool to generate Javadocs, and then we learn how to run the console application. A practical exercise is part of this chapter, with a full solution.
6	Ant Targets	Watch 42m 8s
So far, we've been playing with Ant and our script is not production standard. We put that right in this chapter, when we learn about Targets, and how to sequence them using dependencies.
7	Deploying a WAR from Ant	Watch 51m 12s
We complete the Ant Training in the Course by deploying a WAR file to Tomcat. This chapter is optional, if you're interested in web development.
8	Part Two - Introducing Maven	Preview 40m 50s
Why use Maven? We compare Maven with Ant (although you don't have to know Ant - you can start here). We use the Eclipse Maven plugin on the course, and we get our first look at a Maven "POM".
9	Maven - Setting Dependencies	Watch 48m 43s
We don't need to download Jar files ourselves when using Maven. Find out about Transitive Dependencies. Plus "Scope and Versions" and the Local Repository
10	Maven Plugins and Lifecycles	Watch 41m 14s
Probably the most important concepts in Maven. We see how plugins work and how to configure them, and we then look at the three lifecycles in Maven.
11	Tailoring the Maven Lifecycle	Watch 34m 46s
The lifecycle can be changed. In this chapter we swap the plugin used in the package phase. We also learn about the Maven Assembly plugin and we meet the "Super POM"
12	Deploying a WAR from Maven	Watch 25m 22s
Just as with the Ant section, we need to deploy a WAR file to Tomcat. We do this via a change to the POM and a tweak to the war:war goal.
13	Maven and Eclipse	Watch 5m 11s
So far, the code compiles in Maven but not in Eclipse. We see how to use a plugin to put this right.
14	Part Three: Introducing Gradle	Preview 38m 39s
The third of our build tools is the newest. Our first look at Gradle introduces the Groovy language, and we show how you can program tasks.
15	A Full Gradle Build	Watch 41m 31s
Now we've finishing playing with tasks, we get serious and do a full project build, all the way to deploying our WAR file. We'll see that Gradle borrows ideas from Ant and Maven, and makes life simpler.
16	Course Summary	Watch 21m 3s
One last job is to check that the tools run from the command line. We also show you where to go next.

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Java Build Tools

Pre-requisites

Contents - contains over 9 hours of video - equivalent to 3 days of live training.

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Let the Course Come to You