Bearsampp Module Ghostscript - Gradle Build Documentation

Overview
Quick Start
Installation
Build Tasks
Configuration
Architecture
Troubleshooting
Migration Guide

Overview

The Bearsampp Module Ghostscript project has been converted to a pure Gradle build system, replacing the legacy Ant build configuration. This provides:

Modern Build System - Native Gradle tasks and conventions
Better Performance - Incremental builds and caching
Simplified Maintenance - Pure Groovy/Gradle DSL
Enhanced Tooling - IDE integration and dependency management
Cross-Platform Support - Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS

⚠️ Important Note: This project uses system-installed Gradle only. Neither Apache Ant nor Gradle Wrapper (gradlew/gradlew.bat) are used or supported. You must install Gradle 8.0+ on your system before building.

Project Information

Property	Value
Project Name	module-ghostscript
Group	com.bearsampp.modules
Type	Ghostscript Module Builder
Build Tool	Gradle 8.x+
Language	Groovy (Gradle DSL)

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version	Purpose
Java	8+	Required for Gradle execution
Gradle	8.0+	Build automation tool
7-Zip	Latest	Archive extraction and creation

Basic Commands

# Display build information
gradle info

# List all available tasks
gradle tasks

# Verify build environment
gradle verify

# Build a release (interactive)
gradle release

# Build a specific version (non-interactive)
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1

# Build all versions
gradle releaseAll

# Clean build artifacts
gradle clean

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/bearsampp/module-ghostscript.git
cd module-ghostscript

2. Verify Environment

gradle verify

This will check:

Java version (8+)
Required files (build.properties, releases.properties)
Directory structure (bin/, bin/archived/)
Build dependencies
7-Zip availability (if format=7z)

3. List Available Versions

gradle listVersions

4. Build Your First Release

# Interactive mode (prompts for version)
gradle release

# Or specify version directly
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1

Build Tasks

Core Build Tasks

Task	Description	Example
`release`	Build and package release (interactive/non-interactive)	`gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1`
`releaseAll`	Build all available versions	`gradle releaseAll`
`clean`	Clean build artifacts and temporary files	`gradle clean`

Verification Tasks

Task	Description	Example
`verify`	Verify build environment and dependencies	`gradle verify`
`validateProperties`	Validate build.properties configuration	`gradle validateProperties`
`checkModulesUntouched`	Check modules-untouched integration	`gradle checkModulesUntouched`

Information Tasks

Task	Description	Example
`info`	Display build configuration information	`gradle info`
`listVersions`	List available bundle versions in bin/	`gradle listVersions`
`listReleases`	List all available releases from properties	`gradle listReleases`

Task Groups

Group	Purpose
build	Build and package tasks
verification	Verification and validation tasks
help	Help and information tasks

Configuration

build.properties

The main configuration file for the build:

bundle.name    = ghostscript
bundle.release = 2025.7.31
bundle.type    = tools
bundle.format  = 7z
#build.path    = C:/Bearsampp-build

Property	Description	Example Value
`bundle.name`	Name of the bundle	`ghostscript`
`bundle.release`	Release version	`2025.7.31`
`bundle.type`	Type of bundle	`tools`
`bundle.format`	Archive format	`7z`
`build.path`	Custom build output path (optional)	`C:/Bearsampp-build`

gradle.properties

Gradle-specific configuration:

# Gradle daemon configuration
org.gradle.daemon=true
org.gradle.parallel=true
org.gradle.caching=true

# JVM settings
org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=512m

Directory Structure

module-ghostscript/
├── .gradle-docs/          # Gradle documentation
│   ├── README.md          # Main documentation (this file)
│   ├── TASKS.md           # Task reference
│   ├── CONFIGURATION.md   # Configuration guide
│   ├── API.md             # API reference
│   ├── MIGRATION.md       # Migration guide
│   └── INDEX.md           # Documentation index
├── bin/                   # Ghostscript version bundles
│   ├── ghostscript10.05.1/
│   └── archived/
│       ├── ghostscript9.22/
│       ├── ghostscript9.56.1/
│       └── ...
├── bearsampp-build/       # External build directory (outside repo)
│   ├── tmp/               # Temporary build files
│   │   ├── bundles_prep/tools/ghostscript/
│   │   ├── bundles_build/tools/ghostscript/
│   │   ├── downloads/ghostscript/
│   │   └── extract/ghostscript/
│   └── tools/ghostscript/ # Final packaged archives
│       └── 2025.7.31/
│           ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z
│           ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z.md5
│           └── ...
├── build.gradle           # Main Gradle build script
├── settings.gradle        # Gradle settings
├── build.properties       # Build configuration
└── releases.properties    # Available Ghostscript releases

Architecture

Build Process Flow

1. User runs: gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1
                    ↓
2. Validate environment and version
                    ↓
3. Check for local bundle in bin/ or bin/archived/
                    ↓
4. If not found, download from:
   - modules-untouched repository (remote)
   - releases.properties (fallback)
                    ↓
5. Create preparation directory (tmp/prep/)
                    ↓
6. Copy Ghostscript files (excluding docs/examples)
                    ↓
7. Create gs.exe from gswin64c.exe or gswin32c.exe
                    ↓
8. Copy configuration files (bearsampp.conf, update_cidfmap.bat)
                    ↓
9. Output prepared bundle to tmp/prep/
                    ↓
10. Package prepared folder into archive in bearsampp-build/tools/ghostscript/{bundle.release}/
    - The archive includes the top-level folder: ghostscript{version}/

Packaging Details

Archive name format: bearsampp-ghostscript-{version}-{bundle.release}.{7z|zip}
Location: bearsampp-build/tools/ghostscript/{bundle.release}/
- Example: bearsampp-build/tools/ghostscript/2025.7.31/bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z
Content root: The top-level folder inside the archive is ghostscript{version}/ (e.g., ghostscript10.05.1/)
Structure: The archive contains the Ghostscript version folder at the root with all files inside

Archive Structure Example:

bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z
└── ghostscript10.05.1/    ← Version folder at root
    ├── bin/
    │   ├── gswin64c.exe
    │   ├── gs.exe
    │   └── ...
    ├── bearsampp.conf
    ├── update_cidfmap.bat
    └── ...

Hash Files: Each archive is accompanied by hash sidecar files:

.md5 - MD5 checksum
.sha1 - SHA-1 checksum
.sha256 - SHA-256 checksum
.sha512 - SHA-512 checksum

Download Priority

When building a version, the system follows this priority:

Local bin/ directory: Check bin/ghostscript{version}/
Local bin/archived/ directory: Check bin/archived/ghostscript{version}/
modules-untouched repository: Download from remote properties file
releases.properties: Download from local configuration

Downloaded files are cached in bearsampp-build/tmp/downloads/ and bearsampp-build/tmp/extract/.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "Dev path not found"

Symptom:

Dev path not found: E:/Bearsampp-development/dev

Solution: This is a warning only. The dev path is optional for most tasks. If you need it, ensure the dev project exists in the parent directory.

Issue: "Bundle version not found"

Symptom:

Bundle version not found: E:/Bearsampp-development/module-ghostscript/bin/ghostscript10.05.99

Solution:

List available versions: gradle listVersions
Use an existing version: gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1
Or add the version to releases.properties for download

Issue: "7-Zip not found"

Symptom:

7-Zip not found. Please install 7-Zip or set 7Z_HOME environment variable.

Solution:

Install 7-Zip from https://www.7-zip.org/
Set 7Z_HOME environment variable: set 7Z_HOME=C:\Program Files\7-Zip

Issue: "Java version too old"

Symptom:

Java 8+ required

Solution:

Check Java version: java -version
Install Java 8 or higher
Update JAVA_HOME environment variable

Debug Mode

Run Gradle with debug output:

gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1 --info
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1 --debug

Clean Build

If you encounter issues, try a clean build:

gradle clean
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1

Migration Guide

From Ant to Gradle

The project has been fully migrated from Ant to Gradle. Here's what changed:

Removed Files

File	Status	Replacement
`build.xml`	❌ Removed	`build.gradle`

Command Mapping

Ant Command	Gradle Command
`ant release.build -Dbundle.path=bin/ghostscript10.05.1`	`gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1`
N/A	`gradle release` (interactive)
N/A	`gradle releaseAll`
`ant clean`	`gradle clean`

Key Differences

Aspect	Ant	Gradle
Build File	XML (build.xml)	Groovy DSL (build.gradle)
Task Definition	`<target name="...">`	`tasks.register('...')`
Properties	`<property name="..." />`	`ext { ... }`
Caching	None	Built-in incremental builds
IDE Support	Limited	Excellent (IntelliJ, Eclipse)

For complete migration guide, see MIGRATION.md

Additional Resources

Complete Documentation: INDEX.md - Documentation index
Task Reference: TASKS.md - All available tasks
Configuration Guide: CONFIGURATION.md - Configuration details
API Reference: API.md - Build script API
Migration Guide: MIGRATION.md - Ant to Gradle migration
Gradle Documentation: https://docs.gradle.org/
Bearsampp Project: https://github.com/bearsampp/bearsampp
Ghostscript Downloads: https://www.ghostscript.com/releases/

Support

For issues and questions:

GitHub Issues: https://github.com/bearsampp/module-ghostscript/issues
Bearsampp Issues: https://github.com/bearsampp/bearsampp/issues
Documentation: https://bearsampp.com/module/ghostscript

Last Updated: 2025-01-31
Version: 2025.7.31
Build System: Pure Gradle (no wrapper, no Ant)

Notes:

This project deliberately does not ship the Gradle Wrapper. Install Gradle 8+ locally and run with gradle ....
Legacy Ant files have been removed and replaced with pure Gradle implementation.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version	Description
Java	8 or higher	Required for Gradle execution
Gradle	8.5+	Must be installed on your system
7-Zip	Latest	Required for .7z archive creation

Basic Commands

# Verify environment
gradle verify

# List available versions
gradle listVersions

# Build a specific version
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1

# Build interactively (select from menu)
gradle release

# Build all versions
gradle releaseAll

# Display build info
gradle info

# List all tasks
gradle tasks

📖 Getting Started

First Time Setup: Read GRADLE_SETUP.md
Quick Reference: See GRADLE_README.md
Complete Guide: Read GRADLE_BUILD.md
Migration from Ant: See MIGRATION_GUIDE.md

🔄 Build System

This project uses a pure Gradle build system. The Ant build has been removed.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Interactive Mode	Run `gradle release` to select version from menu
Archived Folder Support	Detects versions in both `bin/` and `bin/archived/`
Download Support	Automatically downloads missing binaries
Hash Generation	Generates MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512 hash files
Build Cache	Faster incremental builds with Gradle's build cache
Better Error Messages	Clear error messages with actionable suggestions

Command Comparison

Ant Command (Removed)	Gradle Command	Description
`ant release.build -Dbundle.path=bin/ghostscript10.05.1`	`gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1`	Build specific version
N/A	`gradle release`	Interactive mode
N/A	`gradle releaseAll`	Build all versions
`ant clean`	`gradle clean`	Clean build artifacts

📁 Project Structure

module-ghostscript/
├── .gradle-docs/              # Documentation (you are here)
│   ├── README.md              # This file
│   ├── GRADLE_README.md       # Quick reference
│   ├── GRADLE_BUILD.md        # Complete build guide
│   ├── GRADLE_SETUP.md        # Setup instructions
│   └── ...                    # Additional documentation
├── bin/                       # Bundle versions
│   ├── ghostscript10.05.1/    # Current version
│   └── archived/              # Archived versions
├── build.gradle               # Main Gradle build script
├── settings.gradle            # Gradle project settings
├── build.properties           # Bundle configuration
└── releases.properties        # Download URLs for versions

🔧 Configuration

build.properties

bundle.name    = ghostscript
bundle.release = 2025.7.31
bundle.type    = tools
bundle.format  = 7z
#build.path    = C:/Bearsampp-build

Build Path Priority

Priority	Source	Description
1	`build.path` in build.properties	Explicit path in config file
2	`BEARSAMPP_BUILD_PATH` env variable	Environment variable override
3	`../bearsampp-build`	Default relative path

📦 Output Structure

bearsampp-build/
└── tools/
    └── ghostscript/
        └── 2025.7.31/
            ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z
            ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z.md5
            ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z.sha1
            ├── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z.sha256
            └── bearsampp-ghostscript-10.05.1-2025.7.31.7z.sha512

🧪 Testing

Run the automated test script:

test-gradle-build.bat

Or test manually:

gradle verify
gradle listVersions
gradle release -PbundleVersion=10.05.1

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
Gradle Not Found	Install Gradle from https://gradle.org/install/
7-Zip Not Found	Install 7-Zip and set `7Z_HOME` environment variable
Dev Directory Not Found	Ensure `dev` project exists in parent directory
Java Not Found	Install Java 8+ and set `JAVA_HOME` environment variable

Verification

# Check environment
gradle verify

# Check Gradle version
gradle --version

# Check Java version
java -version

📝 Notes

Pure Gradle Build: Ant build system has been removed
No Wrapper: Uses system-installed Gradle (no wrapper)
Backward Compatible: Output identical to previous Ant builds
Enhanced Features: Additional functionality beyond Ant
Production Ready: Fully tested and ready for use

🆘 Support

For help:

Run gradle tasks to see all available tasks
Run gradle info to see build configuration
Check the documentation files listed above
Run gradle verify to check your environment

✅ Status

Status: ✅ Production Ready

The Gradle build is fully tested and ready for production use. All Ant functionality has been preserved and enhanced with additional features.

Documentation Version: 2025.7.31
Last Updated: 2025
Build System: Pure Gradle (Ant removed)

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Bearsampp Module Ghostscript - Gradle Build Documentation

Table of Contents

Overview

Project Information

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Basic Commands

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

2. Verify Environment

3. List Available Versions

4. Build Your First Release

Build Tasks

Core Build Tasks

Verification Tasks

Information Tasks

Task Groups

Configuration

build.properties

gradle.properties

Directory Structure

Architecture

Build Process Flow

Packaging Details

Download Priority

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "Dev path not found"

Issue: "Bundle version not found"

Issue: "7-Zip not found"

Issue: "Java version too old"

Debug Mode

Clean Build

Migration Guide

From Ant to Gradle

Removed Files

Command Mapping

Key Differences

Additional Resources

Support

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Basic Commands

📖 Getting Started

🔄 Build System

Key Features

Command Comparison

📁 Project Structure

🔧 Configuration

build.properties

Build Path Priority

📦 Output Structure

🧪 Testing

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Verification

📝 Notes

🆘 Support

✅ Status