Summarized in an Image
Why fly when a car will do?
Don’t get me wrong, I drive regularly. Occasionally I even take long trips by the pavement when the tarmac is too pricey. However, there’s a limit. Flying is faster, safer, and more convenient. When cost (both price and time-overhead) allows, I’d prefer to be in the air.
In a way, that’s where the comparison breaks down. While Maven is generally faster, safer, and far more convenient than Ant, nobody is charging you exorbitant prices to use it. Both are free, it’s up to you to pick which.
Unlike real air travel, Maven also avoids long up-front overhead costs. To fly for real I have to head to the airport early, get through security, sit on my hands for an hour, then jump on the plane and wait another twenty minutes before takeoff. Maven doesn’t have that. I’m running in about a half-dozen lines, and a couple directories.
Amusingly enough, I’m still talking about Maven and Ant here. I’ve personally moved on to SBT and I’m loving it. One quick command-line call, and I’ve got my project rolling. I can customize where I want to whatever extent I want because I get to use real code to do so. For me, it’s like moving from the incredible velocity of a jet plane, and strapping myself inside a rocket bound for wherever I want to go.
Still, I’m baffled every now and then when I look back down on earth to see someone driving their car because “it’s the way it’s always been done”.
CodeQuirks 