Apache ant: something mean in our sandpile when we were children?

I'm always behind the times. For example, my definitive ant tutorial at Java Hot Chocolate.

I should have written this up almost a year ago when I was hot and heavy on it. Instead, I waited until I had a moment, something that never came.

I don't have time today either because I'm busy writing an important application for Android. However, I figure, while it's hot in my mind, while the ant build script I'm writing for my application is closer to what I'd want to present than the humongous thing I wrote last fall for GWAVA, which is proprietary anyway, I had just better do it.

Anyway, I've got it about one-half written today, mostly the ant stuff proper, and I'll finish the Eclipse integration stuff next week, which won't be much more to add in terms of column inches.

However, I'm really behind my time. Maven's been here for what, forever now?

I've been playing with Maven for a couple of years, but because of Eclipse, have just never made the leap. We use Maven at Avocent for our builds, but I haven't undertaken to integrate it for my own use at home yet. And, I still feel very intimidated by it. It's so easy, so powerful and yet so nightmare-ish when things go south.

One day, my Maven prince will come. (Ooooo, did I say really that?)