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Apache Ant vs Bazel: What are the differences?
# Introduction
Apache Ant and Bazel are both build tools used in software development. They have distinct features that set them apart from each other.
1. **Language and Configuration**: Apache Ant uses XML-based scripts for build files, while Bazel uses a domain-specific language that resembles Python for BUILD files, making Bazel easier to read and maintain for developers.
2. **Parallelism**: Bazel is designed to maximize parallelism by splitting the build process into fine-grained tasks, allowing for faster builds compared to Apache Ant, which does not leverage parallelism as efficiently.
3. **Dependency Resolution**: Bazel has a sophisticated dependency resolution system that enables it to build only the necessary targets, reducing build times significantly. On the other hand, Apache Ant rebuilds all the targets defined in the build file each time, leading to longer build times.
4. **Caching and Incremental Builds**: Bazel has built-in support for caching and incremental builds, allowing it to reuse previous build outputs and only reconstruct the necessary parts of the build graph. This results in faster build times compared to Apache Ant, which lacks robust caching mechanisms.
5. **Scalability**: Bazel is designed for scalability and can efficiently handle large codebases and complex dependency graphs. Apache Ant, while suitable for smaller projects, may struggle to manage the build process in large-scale projects due to its limitations in handling dependencies and parallelism.
6. **Community and Ecosystem**: Bazel has a strong community support and is widely used in larger organizations like Google, ensuring ongoing development and support. Apache Ant, while still in use, may not have the same level of community support and resources available for developers.
In Summary, Apache Ant and Bazel differ in their language, parallelism, dependency resolution, caching capabilities, scalability, and community support, making them suitable for different types of projects and teams.
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Learn MorePros of Apache Ant
Pros of Bazel
Pros of Apache Ant
- Flexible4
- Simple1
- Easy to learn1
- Easy to write own java-build-hooks1
Pros of Bazel
- Fast28
- Deterministic incremental builds20
- Correct17
- Multi-language16
- Enforces declared inputs/outputs14
- High-level build language10
- Scalable9
- Multi-platform support5
- Sandboxing5
- Dependency management4
- Windows Support2
- Flexible2
- Android Studio integration1
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Cons of Apache Ant
Cons of Bazel
Cons of Apache Ant
- Slow1
- Old and not widely used anymore1
Cons of Bazel
- No Windows Support3
- Bad IntelliJ support2
- Poor windows support for some languages1
- Constant breaking changes1
- Learning Curve1
- Lack of Documentation1
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What is Apache Ant?
Ant is a Java-based build tool. In theory, it is kind of like Make, without Make's wrinkles and with the full portability of pure Java code.
What is Bazel?
Bazel is a build tool that builds code quickly and reliably. It is used to build the majority of Google's software, and thus it has been designed to handle build problems present in Google's development environment.
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What companies use Apache Ant?
What companies use Bazel?
What companies use Apache Ant?
What companies use Bazel?
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What tools integrate with Apache Ant?
What tools integrate with Bazel?
What tools integrate with Apache Ant?
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What are some alternatives to Apache Ant and Bazel?
Eclipse
Standard Eclipse package suited for Java and plug-in development plus adding new plugins; already includes Git, Marketplace Client, source code and developer documentation.
Click here to file a bug against Eclipse Platform.
Gradle
Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. If you are building, testing, publishing, and deploying software on any platform, Gradle offers a flexible model that can support the entire development lifecycle from compiling and packaging code to publishing web sites.
Apache Maven
Maven allows a project to build using its project object model (POM) and a set of plugins that are shared by all projects using Maven, providing a uniform build system. Once you familiarize yourself with how one Maven project builds you automatically know how all Maven projects build saving you immense amounts of time when trying to navigate many projects.
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat powers numerous large-scale, mission-critical web applications across a diverse range of industries and organizations.
Jenkins
In a nutshell Jenkins CI is the leading open-source continuous integration server. Built with Java, it provides over 300 plugins to support building and testing virtually any project.