Ant Workbench

Browse Ant build files from a dedicated sidebar and run their targets directly from VS Code. For Java projects, it can also generate Eclipse .classpath files so the Java language server (eclipse.jdt.ls) resolves the same classpath that Ant compiles with.

Overview

Ant Workbench gives you a unified sidebar for all Ant build files in your workspace. You can browse targets, run them with a single click, and manage multiple build files per folder — without leaving VS Code.

When .classpath generation helps

If your project uses the Language Support for Java extension, you may see red squiggles even though the project builds fine with Ant. This often happens with projects that carry a stale or incompatible .classpath — for example, projects exported from Eclipse that contain server-runtime containers, workspace-relative variables, or outdated project references that VS Code cannot resolve.

Ant Workbench treats the build file as the source of truth. It reuses the build's own <path> definition (including its include/exclude rules) to emit a .classpath whose library entries are project-relative, so the language server resolves the exact same classpath that Ant compiles with.

Features

• Sidebar tree — discovers Ant build files in the workspace and lists their targets.
• Run target — runs any target with Ant and streams output to an Output channel.
• Active build file — when a folder holds more than one build file (e.g. build.xml and build-app.xml), mark one as active. Generation without an explicit target and auto-generate use the active file.
• Generate .classpath (optional) — produces an Eclipse .classpath from a build file's <path> (default id classpath) and reloads the Java project configuration.
• Auto-generate (optional) — optionally regenerates .classpath when the build file changes.

Requirements

• Apache Ant on your PATH (or set antWorkbench.antPath).
• For .classpath generation only: the Language Support for Java extension.

Installation

Install it from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=seiya-koji.ant-workbench

Usage

1. Open the Ant Workbench view from the Activity Bar.
2. If a folder has multiple build files, click Set as Active on the one you use. The active file is marked in the tree.
3. Expand a build file to see its targets.
4. Click Run on a target to execute it.
5. (Optional) Use the inline Generate .classpath action on a build file to update Java language server resolution.

Settings

The last two settings only apply when using the .classpath generation feature.

How .classpath generation works (optional)

This feature is useful when using the Java language server alongside Ant. A small generator script is placed next to the selected build file, imports it, and converts the build's <path> to project-relative <classpathentry> lib entries. Because the generator runs from the build file's directory, the build's own basedir-relative properties resolve correctly. The generated .classpath is a normal Eclipse file; consider adding it to .gitignore since it is produced locally per machine.