Using <java> tag in Apach Ant, can I run both Server and the ProxyServer class

Question

I would like to start Server and the ProxyServer class simultaneously, using Ant tag, is it possible to run the wo classes?

Here is the code I tried but Ant only starts the Server class and does not do anything there after, not sure if there is away in ant to achieve this.

Appreciate your help.

<target name="pxyServer" depends="server">
    <echo>Executing Target - Run ProxyServer</echo>
    <java classname="pxy.ProxyServer">
        <classpath path="staging" />
    </java>
</target>

<target name="server">
    <echo>Executing Target - RunServer</echo>
    <java classname="pxy.Server">
        <classpath path="staging" />
    </java>
</target>

Answer 1

Your targets are executed sequentially, and since the first one keeps running, the second one never gets the chance to start.

For parallel execution, you can use ant's "parallel" task: http://ant.apache.org/manual/Tasks/parallel.html

Your modified script should probably look something like this:

<target name="startServerAndProxy">
    <echo>Running server and proxy...</echo>
    <parallel>
        <java classname="pxy.Server">
            <classpath path="staging" />
        </java>
        <java classname="pxy.ProxyServer">
            <classpath path="staging" />
        </java>
    </parallel>
</target>

(Of course, if you're trying to start some third application in parallel, a client for example, then you should also include that one in the "parallel".)

UPDATE:

To start the server and the proxy each in its own console, I don't know if it can be done with the "java" Ant task, but I just tested that it can be done with "exec":

<target name="doit">
    <parallel>
        <exec executable="cmd" dir="staging">
            <arg line="/k start java.exe pxy.Server"/>
        </exec>
        <exec executable="cmd" dir="staging">
            <arg line="/k start java.exe pxy.ProxyServer"/>
        </exec>
    </parallel>
</target>