AntCall Task

## AntCall

### Description

Call another target within the same build-file optionally specifying some properties (param's in this context)

By default, all of the properties of the current project will be available in the new project. Alternatively, you can set the inheritAll attribute to `false` and only "user" properties (i.e., those passed on the command-line) will be passed to the new project. In either case, the set of properties passed to the new project will override the properties that are set in the new project (See also the property task).

You can also set properties in the new project from the old project by using nested param tags. These properties are always passed regardless of the setting of inheritAll. This allows you to parameterize your subprojects.

Nested <reference> elements can be used to copy references from the calling project to the new project, optionally under a different id. References taken from nested elements will override existing references in the new project.

When a target is invoked by antcall, all of its dependent targets will also be called within the context of any new parameters. For example. if the target "doSomethingElse" depended on the target "init", then the antcall of "doSomethingElse" will call "init" during the call. Of course, any properties defined in the antcall task or inherited from the calling target will be fixed and not overridable in the init task -or indeed in the "doSomethingElse" task.

### Parameters

Attribute | Description | Required
target | The target to execute. | Yes
inheritAll | If `true`, pass all properties to the new Ant project. Defaults to `true`. | No
inheritRefs | If `true`, pass all references to the new Ant project. Defaults to `false`. | No

### Note on `inheritRefs`

`<antcall>` will not override existing references, even if you set `inheritRefs` to true. As the called build files is the same build file as the calling one, this means it will not override any reference set via an `id` attribute at all. The only references that can be inherited by the child project are those defined by nested `<reference>` elements or references defined by tasks directly (not using the `id` attribute).

Inherited references are not available to top level tasks of the child project.

### Parameters specified as nested elements

#### param

Specifies the properties to set before running the specified target. See property for usage guidelines.

#### reference

Used to chose references that shall be copied into the new project, optionally changing their id.

Attribute | Description | Required
refid | The id of the reference in the calling project. | Yes
torefid | The id of the reference in the new project. | No, defaults to the value of refid.

### Examples

      <target name="default">
        <antcall target="doSomethingElse">
          <param name="param1" value="value"/>
        </antcall>
      </target>

      <target name="doSomethingElse">
        <echo message="param1=${param1}"/>
      </target>

Will run the target 'doSomethingElse' and echo 'param1=value'.

      <antcall ... >
        <reference refid="path1" torefid="path2"/>
      </antcall>

will copy the parent's definition of `path1` into the new project using the id `path2`.

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