Scripts

Introduction

The following is a capture of various scripting languages used to compile and build software. Most of my experience has been with Windows and Linux platforms and so most information found here will be related to them.

ANT

ANT is a Java-based build scripting language that allows one to write once and build on any platform (generally speaking). The default capabilities of ANT are extremely powerful and when I can not get what I need, I write my own custom ANT tasks. Additional enhancements to ANT can be found here:

• ANT Unit - Enhances JUnit testing.
• XMLTask. For more information, read java.net’s article: XML Manipulation using XMLTask

Here are a few things to consider when using ANT:

• Top 15 Best Practices
• Diagnostic Tests - While this is a good article, I would recommend you consider the echoproperties optional task as well.

Windows Batch Scripts

• Windows Commands A-Z - The definitive reference for Windows batch file scripting. Here is some additional information worth checking out.
• Windows PowerShell - The next evolution in Windows scripting. Read the ArsTechnica Guided Tour for additional information.

Hints & Tips

• How to Convert a .BAT file or .VBS file into .EXE to Enable Pinning to XP Start Menu
• Issue the command netstat -a -o to get info on what kind of network traffic you are experiencing.
• Issue the command tasklist /v /fi “IMAGENAME eq cmd.exe” to get info on what kind of processes are currently running. Example. As you can see from this example, I am doing a verbose listing of all cmd.exe process. There are too many of them, so I can quickly kill them off.
• Issue the command taskkill /f /im cmd.exe to kill all those excess command windows (cmd.exe) that are running.

Linux Shell Scripts

• Learning the Shell - A guide for novices and experts alike that provides definitions along with examples of various commands you can use in Linux.
• Bash Tutorial - Learn more about using the Bash shell.
• Oh My Zsh - A framework for managing your zsh configuration.
• zsh: The last shell you’ll ever need!

Apple Script

• Learn AppleScript - Teaches one how to start using AppleScript for the MacOS.
• AppleScript Learning Resources