NetBeans and build.xml

Question

When you create a project in NetBeans, it generates build.xml and nbproject/build-impl.xml. I had assumed it used both, but when I tried deleting build.xml as an experiment, NetBeans didn't seem to bat an eyelid. Is it the case that it only actually uses nbproject/build-impl.xml and I'm free to delete build.xml?

Answer 1

build.xml is there for you to add hooks into the standard build, which is defined in build-impl.xml. I've never deleted it, and only changed it on rare occasions where I needed extra stuff done during the build.