Gradle compileJava task run even during clean?

Question

When you are using the java plugin with gradle, and do only a clean of a project, is the compileJava task still run?

Answer 1

By default, the clean task doesn't depend on any other task, so the answer is no. If you observe this, it means that a build script or third-party plugin has added a task dependency from clean to compileJava (or to some other task that in turn depends on compileJava).

Answer 2

When trying to understand this or even figuring it out yourself via some exploratory coding(i.e. adding println statements or the like) - make sure you're aware of the multi-phase execution model of Gradle: http://gradle.org/current/docs/userguide/build_lifecycle.html

In a scenario where your clean target won't actually execute, it will still be configured - so if you've added your cleanup code to the wrong place, it will get executed every time, here's an example: http://gradle.org/current/docs/userguide/potential_traps.html#configuration_and_execution_phase