The IDE uses an Ant build script to build your Java applications. If you are
using a
,
the IDE generates the build script based on the options you enter in the project's
Project Properties dialog box. If you are using a
,
the IDE uses your existing Ant build script.
Building Standard Projects
With standard Java projects, you can customize the build process by doing any
of the following:
Enter basic options, such as classpath settings and JAR filters, in the
Project Properties dialog box.
Override IDE-generated Ant targets or create new targets in build.xml.
Notes:
By default, the IDE compiles the classes in a standard project when you save
them. This compile-on-save feature enables you to run or debug your applications
in the IDE without having to wait for the projects to be built. However, the
compile-on-save feature does not build your application JAR file. Before
delivering your application to users, use the Clean and Build command to
generate fresh versions of the project's distributable files.
For
that have a main class is specified, the IDE automatically copies any JAR
files on the project's classpath to the dist/lib folder when you build
the application. The IDE also adds each of the JAR files to the Class-Path element
in the application JAR's manifest.mf file. This simplifies running the
application outside the IDE. For more information, see Preparing
a JAR for Deployment Outside the IDE