Run Anteater, Run

— Should we take the short cut or the scenic route?
— Let's take the short cut.
— But the scenic route is so much prettier.
— Okay, let's take the scenic route.
— Great! It's actually slightly quicker anyway.
— ©Fantastic Mr. Fox

Anteater provides two approaches for getting started: the scenic route for those who value flexibility and a deeper understanding, and the shortcut for users who prioritize simplicity and speed. Choose the path that suits your needs!

“Short Cut”

As a standalone java application Anteater can be run with CLI, Desktop and Web user interface. Minimal execution pack you can download from: Sourceforge Project Files:

This is the minimal package required to get started. However, if you need access to specific functionalities, you can download the necessary plugins.

Requirements

Java Runtime Environment (JRE): Anteater requires Java 8 or higher.
Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux and other Unix-like Systems.

Download

You can download the Anteater delivery package from SourceForge.net.

Visit the Anteater project page on SourceForge: Anteater Download
Download the latest ae.zip, anteater.zip or anteater-web.zip archive from the Sourceforge Project Files.

Recipe examples:
https://github.com/ganteater/recipes/

Delivery Package Contents

Here’s what is included in the Anteater delivery package:

CLI:

ae.zip 
├── ae.jar # CLI application 
├── plugins/ # Anteater plugins directory
│   └── ... 
├── recipes/ # Example recipes directory 
│   └── ... 
├ ae.bat
└ ae.sh

Desktop interface:

anteater.zip 
├── anteater.jar # Desktop application 
├── plugins/ # Anteater plugins directory
│   └── ... 
├── recipes/ # Example recipes directory 
│   └── ... 
├ ae.bat
└ ae.sh

Web interface:

anteater-web.zip 
├── ae.jar # required for Web application
├── anteater-web.jar # Web application 
├── plugins/ # Anteater plugins directory
│   └── ... 
├── recipes/ # Example recipes directory 
│   └── ... 
├ ae.bat
└ ae.sh

The ae.bat file is a batch script designed for running the Anteater application on Windows systems. It typically contains commands to set up the environment and execute the Anteater application (e.g., anteater.jar, ae.jar or anteater-web.jar) with the required configurations. Here's an example of what ae.bat might include:

Example Content of `ae.bat`

@echo off
rem -------------------------------------------
rem Anteater Executor Batch File
rem -------------------------------------------

rem Set the classpath to include the Anteater JAR and all plugins
java -Dmaven.home=%MAVEN_HOME% -cp "%~dp0/anteater.jar;%~dp0/plugins/*.jar" com.ganteater.ae.desktop.Anteater %*

How to Use `ae.bat`

Place the ae.bat file in the anteater directory (e.g., %USERPROFILE%\anteater).
Add the Anteater directory to your system PATH environment variable:
- Go to System Properties → Environment Variables.
- Add %USERPROFILE%\anteater to the PATH.
Run the ae.bat file from the command prompt:
```
> ae.bat <recipe_name>
```

Customizations

You can modify the ae.bat file to include additional configurations, such as:

Specifying a custom location for Anteater plugins.
Adding JVM options (e.g., -Xmx1024m for memory allocation).

Example with JVM Options:

java -Xmx1024m -cp "%CLASSPATH%" com.ganteater.ae.desktop.Anteater %*

The ae.bat file simplifies running the Anteater application on Windows by setting up the required environment (classpath) and executing the application with the necessary arguments. It ensures that Anteater can be launched easily from any directory via the command prompt.

Unpacking

After downloading the archive, unpack it using your preferred archive extraction tool.

unzip anteater.zip

How to run

CLI:

java -jar ae.jar

You can launch the Anteater desktop interface in two ways. Simply double-click the anteater.jar file to start the application—this is a quick and straightforward option for users who prefer a graphical interface. Alternatively, you can open a terminal or command prompt and use the following command to start Anteater:

java -jar anteater.jar

Web interface:

java -jar anteater-web.jar

“Scenic Route”

For users who need more flexibility and control over their configurations, running Anteater as a Maven project is the recommended approach. Maven allows you to:

Easily manage dependencies.
Customize configurations for development, testing, or support.
Integrate Anteater seamlessly into your existing workflows.

Steps:

Set up Anteater as a Maven project.
Define your dependencies in the pom.xml file.
Use Maven to build and run your project.

For more information about this method, see: Maven Plugin.

Learn More About Recipes

To learn more about how to write an Anteater recipe, visit the Recipes page.