Can I use properties in an ivy.xml file to avoid repeating version numbers of dependencies?

Question

Here's what part of my ivy.xml looks like right now:

<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.core" rev="3.0.2.RELEASE" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.context" rev="3.0.2.RELEASE" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jdbc" rev="3.0.2.RELEASE" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.beans" rev="3.0.2.RELEASE" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jms" rev="3.0.2.RELEASE" />

Here's what I'd like it to look like:

<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.core" rev="${spring.version}" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.context" rev="${spring.version}" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jdbc" rev="${spring.version}" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.beans" rev="${spring.version}" />
<dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jms" rev="${spring.version}" />

Is this possible? What's the syntax?

Answer 1

I ended up using XML entities to do the substitution. This keeps everything in the same file, which is important for my use case.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE ivy-module [
    <!ENTITY spring.version "3.0.2.RELEASE">
]>
<ivy-module version="2.0"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://incubator.apache.org/ivy/schemas/ivy.xsd">

    <info organisation="org" module="mod"/>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.core" rev="&spring.version;" />
        <dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.context" rev="&spring.version;" />
        <dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jdbc" rev="&spring.version;" />
        <dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.beans" rev="&spring.version;" />
        <dependency org="org.springframework" name="org.springframework.jms" rev="&spring.version;" />
    </dependencies>
</ivy-module>

Answer 2

Syntax is correct. All you need to do is set the ANT property somewhere.

For example

ant -Dspring.version=3.0.2.RELEASE

Another alternative is to add the property declaration into the ivysettings.xml file

<ivysettings>

    <property name="spring.version" value="3.0.2.RELEASE"/>

    <settings defaultResolver="maven2"/>
    <resolvers>
        <ibiblio name="maven2" m2compatible="true"/>
    </resolvers>
</ivysettings>