The short version: Use import if you intend to override a target, otherwise
use include.
When import is used, the imported targets are available by up to two names: their
"normal" name without any prefix and potentially with a prefixed name (the value of
the as attribute or the imported project's name attribute, if any).
When include is used, the included targets are only available in the prefixed form.
When import is used, the imported target's depends attribute remains
unchanged, i.e. it uses "normal" names and allows you to override targets in the dependency
list.
When include is used, the included targets cannot be overridden and
their depends attributes are rewritten so that prefixed names are used. This allows
writers of the included file to control which target is invoked as part of the dependencies.
It is possible to include the same file more than once by using different prefixes;
it is not possible to import the same file more than once.
nested.xml shall be:
<project>
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in nested"/>
</target>
<target name="echo" depends="setUp">
<echo>prop has the value ${prop}</echo>
</target>
</project>
When using import like in
<project default="test">
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in importing"/>
</target>
<import file="nested.xml" as="nested"/>
<target name="test" depends="nested.echo"/>
</project>
Running the build file will emit:
setUp:
nested.echo:
[echo] prop has the value in importing
test:
When using include like in
<project default="test">
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in importing"/>
</target>
<include file="nested.xml" as="nested"/>
<target name="test" depends="nested.echo"/>
</project>
Running the target build file will emit:
nested.setUp:
nested.echo:
[echo] prop has the value in nested
test:
and there won't be any target named echo
on the including build file.
The short version: Use import if you intend to override a target, otherwise
use include.
When import is used, the imported targets are available by up to two names: their
"normal" name without any prefix and potentially with a prefixed name (the value of
the as attribute or the imported project's name attribute, if any).
When include is used, the included targets are only available in the prefixed form.
When import is used, the imported target's depends attribute remains
unchanged, i.e. it uses "normal" names and allows you to override targets in the dependency
list.
When include is used, the included targets cannot be overridden and
their depends attributes are rewritten so that prefixed names are used. This allows
writers of the included file to control which target is invoked as part of the dependencies.
It is possible to include the same file more than once by using different prefixes;
it is not possible to import the same file more than once.
nested.xml shall be:
<project>
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in nested"/>
</target>
<target name="echo" depends="setUp">
<echo>prop has the value ${prop}</echo>
</target>
</project>
When using import like in
<project default="test">
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in importing"/>
</target>
<import file="nested.xml" as="nested"/>
<target name="test" depends="nested.echo"/>
</project>
Running the build file will emit:
setUp:
nested.echo:
[echo] prop has the value in importing
test:
When using include like in
<project default="test">
<target name="setUp">
<property name="prop" value="in importing"/>
</target>
<include file="nested.xml" as="nested"/>
<target name="test" depends="nested.echo"/>
</project>
Running the target build file will emit:
nested.setUp:
nested.echo:
[echo] prop has the value in nested
test:
and there won't be any target named echo
on the including build file.