# Some good rules for an efficient ant build script

> Improve your Ant build scripts with key rules and 15 best practices for cleaner, more efficient, and reusable project builds.

Author: [Guillaume Laforge](https://glaforge.dev/) | Published: 2003-12-08 | Topics: java, ant, build | Canonical: https://glaforge.dev/posts/2003/12/08/some-good-rules-for-an-efficient-ant-build-script/


Some time ago I came across an interesting article on Apache's wiki entitled ([Apache Wiki: The Elements Of Ant Style](http://nagoya.apache.org/wiki/apachewiki.cgi?TheElementsOfAntStyle). It's a very thourough overview of good practices for writing clean, readable, reusable and efficient Ant build files.

Today, through [magpiebrain](http://www.magpiebrain.com/archives/000151.html), I read on [OnJava](http://www.onjava.com/) another very interesting and concise article giving [15 Ant best practices](http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2003/12/17/ant_bestpractices.html). It's much shorter than the previous article on Apache's wiki, but still, with those 15 practices you'll manage to improve some messy build scripts. Believe me !