Build Directory

Build Directory is where a project is built during the build process with all its pages, executables, images, etc. If no definition is made in the Project Properties, the default is:

{User Documents}\.MMAS.Build.Vx\{ProjectName}_{ProjectID}

Examples:

1.	No Build Directory is defined in the project properties: {User Documents}\.MMAS.Build.Vx\{ProjectName}_{46E68728}

2.	Build Directory is defined as "c:\temp\build" in the project properties c:\temp\build

3.	Build Directory is defined as "build" in the project properties {PROJECT_DIR}\build

The directories

The Web Applications that are mapped in the Deployment Configuration are build into their directories under webapps directory.

buildir

The first build

When you run the build for the first time for a project, MoreMotion Application Studio creates a project build directory and initializes the Web Application that is being built under the Web Application Build Directory by copying the MoreMotion AF files under it. This process is called Web Application Initialization.

What does the Web Application Build Directory contain?

The Web Application Build Directory has a J2EE compliant directory structure and it contains the MoreMotion Application Framework files, the compiled pages, images, java scripts, CGIs, etc; in short everything required to run the application properly on the web server.

The build directory also contains registry files created by Application Studio to register the files built and published. These registry files are:

1.	System Build List: @.sbl

2.	Project Build List: @.pbl

3.	Dependency List: @.dep.

By checking the records in these registry files, the Application Studio can determine whether a page needs to be compiled or a file needs to be copied and published.

It is not critical if we loose these files because the Application Studio will recreate them. But all the pages and files will be treated as new and therefore even the ones already done will be rebuilt and published unnecessarily.

Using a shared Build Directory

If a project is developed in a collaborative environment where several users participate in build and publish, it would probably the best to build the project to a network drive which all the users of the project can access.

This way no matter which user makes the build or publish, the built and published files will correctly be registered in registry files and inconsistency and double work will be avoided.

You can change the build directory using menu "Project | Deployment".