Input Task

Input

Description

Allows user interaction during the build process by prompting for input. To do so, it uses the configured InputHandler.

The prompt can be set via the message attribute or as character data nested into the element.

Optinonally a set of valid imput arguments can be defined via the validargs attribute. Input task will no accept value that don't match one of the predefined.

Optionally a property can be created from the value entered by the user. This property can then be used during the following build run. Input behaves according to property task which means that existing properties cannot be overriden. Since Ant 1.6, <input> will not prompt for input if a property should be set by the task that has already been set in the project (and the task wouldn't have any effect).

Parameters

Attribute	Description	Required
message	the Message which gets displayed to the user during the build run.	No
validargs	comma separated String containing valid input arguments. If set, input task will reject any input not defined here. Validargs are compared case sensitive. If you want 'a' and 'A' to be accepted you will need to define both arguments within validargs.	No
addproperty	the name of a property to be created from input. Behaviour is equal to property task which means that existing properties cannot be overriden.	No
defaultvalue	Defines the default value of the property to be created from input. Property value will be set to default if no input is received.	No

Examples

  <input/>

Will pause the build run until return key is pressed when using the default InputHandler, the concrete behavior is defined by the InputHandler implementation you use.

  <input>Press Return key to continue...</input>

Will display the message "Press Return key to continue..." and pause the build run until return key is pressed (again, the concrete behavior is implementation dependent).

  <input
    message="Press Return key to continue..."
  />

Will display the message "Press Return key to continue..." and pause the build run until return key is pressed (see above).

  <input
    message="All data is going to be deleted from DB continue (y/n)?"
    validargs="y,n"
    addproperty="do.delete"
  />
  <condition property="do.abort">
    <equals arg1="n" arg2="${do.delete}"/>
  </condition>
  <fail if="do.abort">Build aborted by user.</fail>

Will display the message "All data is going to be deleted from DB continue (y/n)?" and require 'y' to continue build or 'n' to exit build with following message "Build aborted by user.".

  <input
    message="Please enter db-username:"
    addproperty="db.user"
  />

Will display the message "Please enter db-username:" and set the property db.user to the value entered by the user.

  <input
    message="Please enter db-username:"
    addproperty="db.user"
    defaultvalue="Scott-Tiger"
  />

Same as above, but will set db.user to the value Scott- Tiger if the user enters no value (simply types <return>).