## PropertyHelper

Since Ant 1.8.0

### Description

This task is provided for the purpose of allowing the user to (a) install a different `PropertyHelper` at run time, or (b) (hopefully more often) install one or more `PropertyHelper` Delegates into the `PropertyHelper` active on the current `Project`. This is somewhat advanced Apache Ant usage and assumes a working familiarity with the modern Ant APIs. See the description of Ant's Property Helper for more information.

### Parameters specified as nested elements

#### PropertyHelper

You may specify exactly one configured `org.apache.tools.ant.PropertyHelper` instance.

#### PropertyHelper.Delegate

You may specify, either in conjunction with a new `PropertyHelper` or not, one or more configured implementations of the `org.apache.tools.ant.PropertyHelper.Delegate` interface. A deeper understanding of the API is required here, however, as `Delegate` is a marker interface only: the nested arguments must implement a `Delegate` subinterface in order to do anything meaningful.

#### delegate

A generic `<delegate>` element which can use project references is also provided:

##### Parameters

Attribute | Description | Required
--- | --- | ---
refid | The id of a `PropertyHelper.Delegate` to install. | Yes

### Examples

Install a completely different `PropertyHelper` implementation (assuming `MyPropertyHelper extends PropertyHelper`):

    <componentdef classname="org.example.MyPropertyHelper"
                  name="mypropertyhelper"/>
    <propertyhelper>
      <mypropertyhelper/>
    </propertyhelper>

Add a new `PropertyEvaluator` delegate (assuming `MyPropertyEvaluator implements PropertyHelper.PropertyEvaluator`). Note that `PropertyHelper` uses the configured delegates in LIFO order. I.e. the delegate added by this task will be consulted before any previously defined delegate and in particular before the built-in ones.

    <componentdef classname="org.example.MyPropertyEvaluator"
                  name="mypropertyevaluator"/>
    <propertyhelper>
      <mypropertyevaluator/>
    </propertyhelper>

Add a new `PropertyEvaluator` delegate using the refid syntax:

    <typedef classname="org.example.MyPropertyEvaluator"
             name="mypropertyevaluator"/>
    <mypropertyevaluator id="evaluator"/>
    <propertyhelper>
      <delegate refid="evaluator"/>
    </propertyhelper>