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I keep several properties files in a separate "resources" package. There are no java classes in this package. These properties don't get copied to the build directory when I "compile" this package. (I can't compile my complete project at the moment because I have to resolve other problems as well after switching to NB 4.0 and NB4.0 doesn't allow to exclude sources from compiling.) I wrote a new ant target "jar without compile" and it wouldn't copy the resources either. So neither compile nor jar copies these resources. I think at least one of them should do it. Otherwise I can't run any part of the code before everything compiles and this is impractical.
move to projects
This is not a bug, it behaves as it was designed. The compile single( used for file/package compilation) was designed as a test that the file can be compiled it does not run full build, it does not copy any resoruces and does not create archive file. If you need to do it build the project. The copy is done by the -do-compile target used when project compilation runs, but not during the compile single. The only right change to support resource copying during the compile single will be to copy all resources from project sources to the build dir, you can compile class which access a resource in the another pacakge. But this will slow down the compile single and I don't know if it is acceptable. I've added HIE expert on the cc list.
I agree it is not a bug. However, I think it is a gap in the design. While compile-single allows to update single class files without building the complete project there is no analog possibility for non-class files that have changed (properties files for instance). On single file level copying a properties file to the build directory cannot be called "compile" but it is the analogon to compile and it is a missing action. On package level I would except "compile" to behave as on project level and that means copy all non-class files to the build directory.
I mistyped this: On package level I would expect "compile" to behave as ...
Obviously not for 4.1. Would recommend this be WONTFIX. User can do a normal build which copies all resources. If some sources are broken, fix them or delete them first.