Question

I have a file path such as /repo/java/projects/myproj in an Ant property. How can I remove /repo/java and store the result projects/myproj in another property?

Answer 1

The pathconvert Ant task may be used with a nested mapper to remove the first two directories from a path (or get the first two directories).

Remove prefix /repo/java/

Match ‘/’ file separator

<property name="path" value="/repo/java/projects/myproj"/>

<target name="test1">
  <pathconvert property="path.fragment" pathsep="${line.separator}">
    <propertyresource name="path" />
    <mapper type="regexp"
        from="^/[^/]+/[^/]+/(.*)"
        to="\1"/>
  </pathconvert>
  <echo message="${path.fragment}" />
</target>

Output

test1:
     [echo] projects/myproj

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

Match platform file separator

<property name="path" value="/repo/java/projects/myproj"/>

<target name="test2">
  <pathconvert property="path.fragment" pathsep="${line.separator}">
    <propertyresource name="path" />
    <mapper type="regexp"
        from="^${file.separator}[^${file.separator}]+${file.separator}[^${file.separator}]+${file.separator}(.*)"
        to="\1"/>
  </pathconvert>
  <echo message="${path.fragment}" />
</target>

Output

test2:
     [echo] projects/myproj

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

Get prefix /repo/java/

Match ‘/’ file separator

<property name="path" value="/repo/java/projects/myproj"/>

<target name="test3">
  <pathconvert property="path.fragment" pathsep="${line.separator}">
    <propertyresource name="path" />
    <mapper type="regexp"
        from="^(/[^/]+/[^/]+/).*"
        to="\1"/>
  </pathconvert>
  <echo message="${path.fragment}" />
</target>

Output

test3:
     [echo] /repo/java/

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

Match platform specific file separator

<property name="path" value="/repo/java/projects/myproj"/>

<target name="test4">
  <pathconvert property="path.fragment" pathsep="${line.separator}">
    <propertyresource name="path" />
    <mapper type="regexp"
        from="^(${file.separator}[^${file.separator}]+${file.separator}[^${file.separator}]+${file.separator}).*"
        to="\1"/>
  </pathconvert>
  <echo message="${path.fragment}" />
</target>

Output

test4:
     [echo] /repo/java/

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds