javac: java.lang.OutOfMemoryError when running ant from Eclipse

Question

I have given loads of memory to eclipse in the ini file but its still not using anything more than 300mb which i can see in the task manager.

  [javac] The system is out of resources.
    [javac] Consult the following stack trace for details.
    [javac] java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.selectSym(Attr.java:1938)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.visitSelect(Attr.java:1835)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree$JCFieldAccess.accept(JCTree.java:1522)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.attribTree(Attr.java:360)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Attr.attribExpr(Attr.java:377)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Annotate.enterAttributeValue(Annotate.java:190)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Annotate.enterAnnotation(Annotate.java:167)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.enterAnnotations(MemberEnter.java:743)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter.access$300(MemberEnter.java:42)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.MemberEnter$5.enterAnnotation(MemberEnter.java:711)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Annotate.flush(Annotate.java:95)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Annotate.enterDone(Annotate.java:87)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Enter.complete(Enter.java:485)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Enter.main(Enter.java:442)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.enterTrees(JavaCompiler.java:819)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.main.JavaCompiler.compile(JavaCompiler.java:727)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:353)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:279)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.main.Main.compile(Main.java:270)
    [javac]     at com.sun.tools.javac.Main.compile(Main.java:69)
    [javac]     at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    [javac]     at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    [javac]     at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    [javac]     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    [javac]     at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.compilers.Javac13.execute(Javac13.java:56)
    [javac]     at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Javac.compile(Javac.java:1065)
    [javac]     at org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.Javac.execute(Javac.java:882)
    [javac]     at org.apache.tools.ant.UnknownElement.execute(UnknownElement.java:288)
    [javac]     at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor19.invoke(Unknown Source)
    [javac]     at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    [javac]     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    [javac]     at org.apache.tools.ant.dispatch.DispatchUtils.execute(DispatchUtils.java:106)

this is my ini file which i have.

--launcher.defaultAction
openFile
--launcher.XXMaxPermSize
512M
-showsplash
org.eclipse.platform
--launcher.XXMaxPermSize1024m
--vm
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_24\bin\javaw.exe -vmargs -Xms512m -Xmx1024m

I have no idea why it wont use the memory I am giving it. Do i need to do anything else to change the heap size?

Thanks

Answer 1

Not Eclipse is running out of memory, but ant. Ant is run as an external tool from eclipse, so it does not inherit the VM settings you are using for eclipse. You can set the options for it in the external tool run configuration. Go to Run -> External Tools -> External Tool Configurations... Then under "Ant Builds" you have to look up your ant build, and you can set the vm arguments in the JRE tab.