build VdrAssistant from sources

I'll use the repository as a backup on long term development jobs, which means, you can't expect, that the repository contains a stable release. It rarely will - and it is not asured, that the repository will compile without errors.

My desktop is a Linux-system, which means, that I naturally use scripting with bash and perl for development. So if you want to build VdrAssistant on a windows host, you'll have to provide those scripting support (i.e. cygwin).

... so if I couldn't scare you ...

• a subversion-client, as the repository is a svn-repository
• a current, real JDK (1.6.x), i.e. gcj is known to fail and I definitely won't spend my time to change that!
• you'll need ant (>= 1.6.5) to build VdrAssistant
• the framework SRJRCFrames

The framework SRJRCFrames provides several tools and libraries, wich will be used by VdrAssistant. To avoid duplication of the framework for each project using it, I like the following procedure:

I place the projects beside the framework and link to the common-directory of the framework.

Assuming that /usr/local/src is the base directory for your source projects, installation will look like:

$ ls -l /usr/local/src
lrwxrwxrwx  1 x x common -> srjrcframes/common
drwxrwxr-x 16 x x srjrcframes
drwxrwxr-x 33 x x vdrassistant
... 

• The framework can be build from extracting the source-archive or by using subversion-repository. The archive will most likely get compiled, where as the sources from repository may be a bit fresher.

  If you'll use the source-archive, you'll need to create a directory srjrcframes and extract the archive to that directory. (replace xxx with the release number of your choice).

  mkdir srjrcframes
  cd srjrcframes
  unzip ../srjrcframes_src-xxx.zip

  otherwise ...

• check out the freshest soruces by
  

  svn co https://srjrcframes.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/srjrcframes srjrcframes 

• I renamed the ant build-scripts to srbuild.xml to avoid collisions with eclipse and netbeans ...

• dive into the directory srjrcframes and execute

  ant -f srbuild.xml [command]

  where command may be
  • clean
  • build
  • apidoc
  • dist
  .

• As SRJRCFrames is used to extend the build-environment of VdrAssistant too, we'll need to publish that parts of the framework:

  cd ..
  ln -s srjrcframes/common common

• no matter whether you'll use the frameworks source-archive or the sources from repository, you'll need to build the framework first!

• check out the freshest sources from VdrAssistant by:

  svn co https://srjrcframes.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/vdrassistant vdrassistant

• I renamed the ant build-scripts to srbuild.xml to avoid collisions with eclipse and netbeans ...

• Before we start the build of VdrAssistant, we have to integrate the libraries of the framework. There's a little helper called "createLinks.sh". Dive into the directory vdrassistant and execute the helper (of cause - the helper needs to be executed only once):

  cd vdrassistant
  ./createLinks.sh

• We start the build with

  ant -f srbuild.xml [command]

  where command may be
  • clean
  • build
  • apidoc
  • dist
  .

  For the first time I recommend using "dist", as it creates all needed directories as well as the installers ...

Have fun!