Apache Ant with Selenium WebDriver: Complete Build and Test Automation Tutorial Great 2025

👉Apache Ant with Selenium WebDriver

Apache Ant with Selenium: Apache Ant is a powerful build automation tool used in Java-based projects. When working on large-scale automation frameworks, especially with Selenium WebDriver and TestNG, Ant simplifies your workflow by automating repetitive tasks like compiling, executing tests, setting classpaths, and generating reports.

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👉Table of Contents

1. What is Apache Ant?
   
2. Benefits of Using Apache Ant
   
3. How to Install Apache Ant on Windows
   
4. Understanding build.xml Structure
   
5. Running Ant from Eclipse
   
6. Apache Ant with TestNG Example
   
7. Apache Ant with Selenium WebDriver
   
8. Summary
   

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What is Apache Ant?

Apache Ant with Selenium: When building a complete software product, several repetitive tasks such as:

• Cleaning previous build artifacts
  
• Compiling source code
  
• Managing dependencies
  
• Executing code
  
• Packaging into JARs
  
• Generating reports
  

…can be automated using Apache Ant.

Instead of manually performing these tasks, Ant automates them using an XML configuration file, typically named build.xml.

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Benefits of Using Apache Ant

• Manages Dependencies: Automatically sets classpaths for third-party JAR files.
  
• Automates Build Lifecycle: From cleaning, compiling to deploying, all steps are automated.
  
• XML-Based Configuration: Easily manage build logic using XML.
  
• Command-Line Execution: Runs seamlessly from terminal or IDEs like Eclipse.
  
• Keeps Codebase Clean: Separation of logic and configuration improves maintainability.
  

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How to Install Apache Ant on Windows

Step-by-Step Installation:

1. Download Ant from:
   
2. Extract the ZIP file (e.g., apache-ant-1.9.4-bin.zip).
   
3. Set Environment Variables:
   
   • ANT_HOME: Path to the extracted Ant folder.
     
   • Add %ANT_HOME%\bin to your system’s Path variable.
     
4. Restart your computer.
   

Verify installation:

bash

ant -version

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Understanding build.xml Structure

Key Tags in build.xml:

• <project>: Defines the project name and base directory.
  
• <property>: Declares variables.
  
• <target>: Specifies build steps (e.g., clean, compile).
  
• <path> / <pathelement>: Defines JAR/classpaths.
  
• <delete>, <mkdir>, <echo>: Used for directory handling and messaging.
  
• <javac>: Compiles .java files.
  
• <jar> and <manifest>: Packages code and specifies entry point.
  
• <java>: Executes Java classes from build.
  

Sample:

xml

<project name=”MyApp” basedir=”.” default=”run”>

  <property name=”src” value=”src”/>

  <property name=”build” value=”build”/>

  <target name=”clean”>

    <delete dir=”${build}”/>

  </target>

  <target name=”compile”>

    <mkdir dir=”${build}”/>

    <javac srcdir=”${src}” destdir=”${build}”/>

  </target>

  <target name=”run” depends=”compile”>

    <java classname=”com.example.Main” classpath=”${build}”/>

  </target>

</project>

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Running Ant from Eclipse

To run Ant build files in Eclipse:

1. Right-click on build.xml.
   
2. Select Run As → Ant Build.
   
3. Your project will be compiled and executed according to the targets defined.
   

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Apache Ant with TestNG Example

You can integrate TestNG test execution inside Ant by following these steps:

Step-by-Step:

Create a Java class with TestNG annotations.

java

@Test

public void sampleTest() {

    System.out.println(“TestNG method executed!”);

}

2. Create a testng.xml file to define the test suite.
   
3. In build.xml, define targets to:
   
   • Compile the class
     
   • Set classpath (including testng.jar)
     
   • Execute TestNG using <java> tag
     

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Apache Ant with Selenium WebDriver

Why Use Ant with Selenium?

Apache Ant with Selenium: In Selenium test automation, Ant helps by:

• Managing dependencies (like Selenium JARs)
  
• Automating test execution
  
• Creating reusable build processes
  

Example Setup:

Step 1: Set Selenium JAR property

xml

CopyEdit

<property name=”selenium.jars” value=”lib/selenium-server.jar”/>

Step 2: Add it to classpath

xml

<path id=”classpath”>

  <pathelement location=”${selenium.jars}”/>

</path>

Step 3: Compile and Execute Test

xml

<target name=”compile”>

  <javac srcdir=”src” destdir=”build” classpathref=”classpath”/>

</target>

<target name=”run” depends=”compile”>

  <java classname=”test.SeleniumExample” classpathref=”classpath”/>

</target>

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Selenium Script Example:

java

public class SeleniumExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

        driver.get(“https://example.com”);

        List<WebElement> links = driver.findElements(By.tagName(“a”));

        for (WebElement link : links) {

            System.out.println(link.getText());

        }

        driver.quit();

    }

}

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👉 Summary

Feature	Details
Tool	Apache Ant
Purpose	Automate Java build and test workflows
Compatible With	Selenium WebDriver, TestNG
Key File	build.xml
Execution Options	Command-line or IDE plugins like Eclipse
Benefits	Cleaner builds, easier dependency management, automation

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