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# Antlib Contract

### definition of antlibs

Antlibs are special-purpose jar files containing a deployment descriptor called antlib.xml. These jar files contain ant tasks and types. In the near future, they will also contain custom components too able to act as filters, mappers, ...

The precise location of the deployment descriptor is already a point of discussion. (such as com/xyz/anttasks/antlib.xml). Costin Manolache would prefer deployment descriptors to live in packages The original proposal is to put the deployment descriptor into META-INF/antlib.xml in the jar files.

### loading of antlibs

Under ant.home, a new subdirectory autolib would be created for antlibs to be loaded "spontaneously".

antlibs can also be loaded explicitly with an <antlib/> task.

### links

Antlib task documentation

Antjar task documentation

### todo

#### versions

ant-required-version, antlib-version (version used to build the library)

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