• Release: prototype-0.5 (Oct 21, 2003)
• Author: Abey Mullassery ( https://www.mullassery.com)
• Project Home: https://act.dev.java.net

The aim of the project is to build a plug-in based framework and tasks for the desktop that can be executed using a GUI and command-line.

The concept is very similar to ANT tasks for a project build but the functionality/ tasks for a desktop is a lot different and generally requires a GUI.
The plug-in architecture will allow the Tasks to come with predefined GUIs using the exsiting GUI components in the framework/ library or mix both. If the task does not have any GUI, the framework will generate one based on the plug-in details. It needs to expose details such as required fields, possible values, etc.

A small but powerful app ready for any simple task one might need. People will find it easier to switch between a Unix and Windows systems since this works on both. If it is available on servers, it will be easy to work with the same/ familiar front-end on your machine.

The main features required for the new application are:-

• Defining an interface/ plugin architecture to add tasks (with or without GUIs).
• Tasks should be able to select element based or Wizard (steps) based GUI for getting data.
• Tasks without GUIs will be exposed with dynamic GUI made out of a combination of our existing library of GUI components.
• A provision to provide advanced GUI functionality also with the task itself (using a combination of custom and standard components).
• An adapter to the existing set of ANT tasks.
• A provision to make these tasks run on remote machines (i.e., split it to function as a client-server - with authentication).
• A library of tasks which are useful for desktop and server users.
• It should expose the tasks to the command-line AND to a GUI.
• The functionality used should be easily re-usable in other projects, for e.g.., as a plug-in of another application.
• Should be able to make composite Tasks in order and refer/ execute to it as one later.
• Facility to save and load tasks/composites to a file (Installers could use this facility).

License

Apache Software License

Read https://www.apache.org/LICENSE.txt

Prototype

The proof-of-concept implementation has a set of tasks (currently built on ANT tasks) with dynamic GUI generation and command-line interface.
A huge set of utilities are available in the Jakarta ANT project in the form of default, optional and external tasks. This application generates dynamic GUI for any such task at runtime, that implements the ANT Task interface. The user can directly run the task without a build file. It also allows the user to load, save, re-run, group and add custom tasks. It works well on command prompt as well.

Another major area of use is in easy integration to any application. All the functionality can be used by providing task properties in a simple XML format.

It provides same functionality and GUI on all platforms since its developed in Java. This gives the great power of the tasks ranging from highly customized "copy" to quick XSLT transformation in the same tool.

Adding and distributing tasks is also extremely simple and will be available on all platforms.

Note that the prototype is just a quick proof-of-concept implementation and is NOT the intented application/ product.

Features

• Large set of desktop tasks made available (100+)
• Command-line support for all tasks.
• Generated help on command-line for all tasks.
• GUI generated at runtime for all tasks.
• Appropriate form fields (filechooser, text) provided.
• GUI to add/ edit/ delete tasks.
• Add any task implementing ANT Task interface.
• All preferences and settings in editable XML format.
• Grouping of tasks into task-groups and sub-groups.
• Saving tasks with values to a flat file (XML).
• Load saved tasks from file for direct execution.
• MRU (Most Recently Used) task list.
• Task execution Output tab.
• Customizable Task Working Directory.
• Intutive multi-tabbed Task GUI.
• Task help/ descriptions on tooltip.
• Hide tasks not required to avoid clutter.
• Filter/ hide form fields not used, from all tasks.

Requirements

• Java 1.3 and above. Visit https://java.sun.com/j2se for details
• Apache ANT 1.4 or above. Visit https://ant.apache.org/ for details

Installation

• Install ANT (Set the ANT_HOME environment variable to ANT installation directory).
• Install ACT (from binary OR source)
  1. From the binary distribution
     • Unzip ACT binary.
     • Set the ACT_HOME environment variable to ACT installation directory
  2. From the source (CVS or the src distribution zip)
     • Build the sources using ANT and the build.xml.
     • Set the ACT_HOME environment variable to ACT directory

ACT_HOME setting: Add environment variable ACT_HOME with path to directory where ACT is installed/ unzipped (without a trailing slash '/'). You may include CLASSPATH in the batch files also.

Run

See the HowTo ACT document for more details on using it.

• Windows
  1. Click the ACT shortcut (ACT.lnk). You can add this to your taskbar or the start menu
  2. Run ACTGUI.bat (GUI).
  3. Run ACT.bat (command-line) with taskname and parameters.
• Unix
  1. Run actgui (GUI).
  2. Run act (command-line) with taskname and parameters.