| <!DOCTYPE html> |
| |
| |
| <!-- |
| | Generated by Apache Maven Doxia Site Renderer 2.0.0 from src/site/apt/index.apt.vm at 2025-09-23 |
| | Rendered using Apache Maven Fluido Skin 2.1.0 |
| --> |
| <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> |
| <head> |
| <meta charset="UTF-8" /> |
| <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> |
| <meta name="generator" content="Apache Maven Doxia Site Renderer 2.0.0" /> |
| <title>A Release Audit Tool – Apache RAT™ - A Release Audit Tool</title> |
| <link rel="stylesheet" href="./css/apache-maven-fluido-2.1.0.min.css" /> |
| <link rel="stylesheet" href="./css/site.css" /> |
| <link rel="stylesheet" href="./css/print.css" media="print" /> |
| <script src="./js/apache-maven-fluido-2.1.0.min.js"></script> |
| <link href="https://creadur.apache.org/font/matesc.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /> |
| </head> |
| <body> |
| <a class="github-fork-ribbon right-top" href="https://github.com/apache/creadur-rat" data-ribbon="Fork me on GitHub">Fork me on GitHub</a> |
| <div class="container-fluid container-fluid-top"> |
| <header> |
| <div id="banner"> |
| <div class="pull-left"><div id="bannerLeft"><h1><a href="https://www.apache.org/"><img src="https://www.apache.org/img/asf_logo.png" alt="The Apache Software Foundation" /> Apache RAT</a></h1></div></div> |
| <div class="pull-right"></div> |
| <div class="clear"><hr/></div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div id="breadcrumbs"> |
| <ul class="breadcrumb"> |
| <li id="publishDate">Last Published: 2025-09-23<span class="divider">|</span> |
| </li> |
| <li id="projectVersion">Version: 0.17-SNAPSHOT<span class="divider">|</span></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/">Apache</a><span class="divider">/</span></li> |
| <li><a href="../">Creadur</a><span class="divider">/</span></li> |
| <li><a href="./">RAT</a><span class="divider">/</span></li> |
| <li class="active">A Release Audit Tool</li> |
| </ul> |
| </div> |
| </header> |
| <div class="row-fluid"> |
| <header id="leftColumn" class="span2"> |
| <nav class="well sidebar-nav"> |
| <ul class="nav nav-list"> |
| <li class="nav-header">Apache RAT™</li> |
| <li class="active"><a>Introducing RAT</a></li> |
| <li><a href="download_rat.cgi">Downloads</a></li> |
| <li><a href="changes.html">Changes</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">RAT from the Command Line</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/index.html">Command Line Introduction</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/cli_options.html">Command Line Options</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/env_vars.html">Environment Variables</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-core/exclusion_expression.html">Exclusion Expressions</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/standard_collections.html">Standard Collections</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">RAT from Ant</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-tasks/index.html">Ant Task Introduction</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-tasks/ant_options.html">Ant Elements and Attributes</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">RAT from Maven</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-plugin/index.html">Maven Plugin Introduction</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-plugin/mvn_options.html">Maven Options</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-plugin/examples/index.html">Maven Examples</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Configuring RAT</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/name_xref.html">Option Name Cross Reference</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/default_licenses.html">Default Licenses</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/default_matchers.html">Default Matchers</a></li> |
| <li><a href="license_def.html">Defining New Licenses</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/xsd.html">Configuration XSD</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat/blob/master/apache-rat-core/src/main/resources/org/apache/rat/default.xml">Default Configuration</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/detecting_generated_files.html">Detecting Generated Files</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">RAT Output</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/output/example.html">Standard Output Example</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat/blob/master/apache-rat-core/src/main/resources/org/apache/rat/rat-report.xsd">Output XSD</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat/blob/master/apache-rat-core/src/main/resources/org/apache/rat/plain-rat.xsl">XSLT - Plain text</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat/blob/master/apache-rat-core/src/main/resources/org/apache/rat/missing-headers.xsl">XSLT - Missing headers list</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat/blob/master/apache-rat-core/src/main/resources/org/apache/rat/unapproved-licenses.xsl">XSLT - Unapproved licenses list</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Developing RAT</li> |
| <li><a href="architecture.html">Architecture</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apidocs/index.html">Javadocs</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-core/development/document_name.html">Document Name concept</a></li> |
| <li><a href="development/ui_implementation.html">UI Development</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-core/development/write_file_processor.html">Writing a File Processor</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Apache Creadur™</li> |
| <li><a href="..">Creadur Project Home</a></li> |
| <li><a href="../tentacles">Apache Tentacles</a></li> |
| <li><a href="../whisker">Apache Whisker</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/security/">Security</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/licenses/">License</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://privacy.apache.org/policies/privacy-policy-public.html">Privacy</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/sponsorship.html">Sponsorship</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/thanks.html">Thanks</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">The Apache Software Foundation</li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation">About the Foundation</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://projects.apache.org">The projects</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://people.apache.org">The people</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/how-it-works.html">How we work</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/how-it-works.html#history">Our history</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://blogs.apache.org/foundation/">News</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Contribute</li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/getinvolved.html">Get Involved</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Committer Info</li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/dev/committers.html">ASF Committers' FAQ</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/dev/new-committers-guide.html">New Committers Guide</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-site/blob/asf-site/README.md">How to publish this site</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://community.apache.org/">Community</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/legal/">Legal</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/">Branding</a></li> |
| <li><a href="https://www.apache.org/press/">Media Relations</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Modules</li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-core/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Core</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-plugin/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Plugin4Maven</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-tasks/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Tasks4Ant</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Packaging</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-tools/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Tools</a></li> |
| <li><a href="apache-rat-testdata/index.html">Apache Creadur RAT::Testdata</a></li> |
| <li class="nav-header">Project Documentation</li> |
| <li><a href="project-info.html"><span class="icon-chevron-right"></span>Project Information</a></li> |
| <li><a href="project-reports.html"><span class="icon-chevron-right"></span>Project Reports</a></li> |
| </ul> |
| </nav> |
| <div class="well sidebar-nav"> |
| <div id="poweredBy"> |
| <div class="clear"></div> |
| <div class="clear"></div> |
| <a href="https://maven.apache.org/" class="builtBy"><img class="builtBy" src="https://maven.apache.org/images/logos/maven-feather.png" /> Maven</a> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| </header> |
| <main id="bodyColumn" class="span10"> |
| <section><a id="A_Release_Audit_Tool_.28RAT.29"></a> |
| <h1>A Release Audit Tool (RAT)</h1> |
| <p>Apache RAT™ audits software distributions, with a special interest in headers. If this isn't quite what you're looking for then take a look at the other products developed by <a class="externalLink" href="https://creadur.apache.org">Apache Creadur</a>™, including <a class="externalLink" href="https://creadur.apache.org/whisker">Apache Whisker</a>™ which audits and generates legal (for example <code>LICENSE</code>) documents for complex software distributions.</p> |
| <p>There are several things to keep in mind when running RAT</p> |
| <ol style="list-style-type: decimal;"> |
| <li>RAT highlights possible issues.</li> |
| <li>RAT reports require interpretation.</li> |
| <li>RAT often requires some tuning before it runs well against a project.</li> |
| <li>RAT relies on heuristics: it may miss issues</li></ol></section><section><a id="Apache_RAT.26.238482.3B"></a> |
| <h1>Apache RAT™</h1> |
| <p>In a hurry? Jump to <a href="#Quick_Start.3A_Running_RAT">quick start</a></p> |
| <ul> |
| <li><a href="#About_RAT">About RAT</a> |
| <ul> |
| <li><a href="#What_Is_RAT.3F">What Is RAT?</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#How_Do_I_Use_RAT.3F">How Do I Use RAT?</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#How_do_I_extend_RAT">How do I extend RAT</a></li></ul></li> |
| <li><a href="#Quick_Start.3A_Running_RAT">Quick Start: Running RAT</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#Building_RAT_from_source">Building RAT from source</a> |
| <ul> |
| <li><a href="#Checkout_the_code">Checkout the code</a></li> |
| <li><a href="#Building_RAT">Building RAT</a></li></ul></li></ul><section><a id="About_RAT"></a> |
| <h2>About RAT</h2><section><a id="What_Is_RAT.3F"></a> |
| <h3>What Is RAT?</h3> |
| <p>Apache RAT is a release audit tool, focused on licenses.</p> |
| <p>Use RAT to improve accuracy and efficiency when checking releases for licenses.</p> |
| <p>Reviewing releases in the <a class="externalLink" href="https://incubator.apache.org/">Apache Incubator</a> by hand was error-prone and time-consuming. RAT arises from the Apache style, but is used more widely.</p> |
| <p>Apache RAT is part of the <a class="externalLink" href="https://creadur.apache.org">Apache Creadur</a> language- and build-agnostic suite of tools for auditing and comprehending software distributions. Our community develops <a class="externalLink" href="https://opensource.org/"> open source software</a> the <a class="externalLink" href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/how-it-works.html"> Apache way</a>.</p> |
| <p>Please feel free to contribute a <a href="./issue-management.html">patch</a>, <a class="externalLink" href="https://wiki.c2.com/?TestDrivenDevelopment">demonstrate</a> a <a href="./issue-management.html">bug</a>, or just <a href="./mailing-lists.html">talk to us</a>. All welcome :-)</p></section><section><a id="How_Do_I_Use_RAT.3F"></a> |
| <h3>How Do I Use RAT?</h3> |
| <p>Apache RAT 0.17-SNAPSHOT ships with</p> |
| <ul> |
| <li>A <a href="./apache-rat/index.html">command line</a> client.</li> |
| <li>An Apache <a href="./apache-rat-task/index.html">Ant task library</a> ,</li> |
| <li>An Apache <a href="./apache-rat-plugin/index.html">Maven plugin</a>.</li></ul> |
| <p>RAT is extensible. If your build tool isn't supported, please contribute a <a href="./issue-management.html">patch</a> or <a href="./mailing-lists.html">talk to us</a>.</p> |
| <p>RAT aspires to be self documenting. Please contribute a <a href="./issue-management.html">patch</a> or <a href="./mailing-lists.html">talk to us</a> whenever RAT falls short.</p></section><section><a id="How_do_I_extend_RAT"></a> |
| <h3>How do I extend RAT</h3> |
| <p>There are several standard ways to extend RAT.</p> |
| <ul> |
| <li>Add a <a href="./license_def.html">license definition</a> via an XML file.</li> |
| <li>Add a new <a href="./matcher_def.html">Matcher definition</a>. Requires Java expertise.</li> |
| <li>Add a new definition format. Requires Java expertise as well as expertise with the format.</li> |
| <li>Write a new <a href="./xslt_def.html">output report</a>. Requires XSLT knowledge.</li> |
| <li>Write a new <a href="./ui_def.html">user interface</a>. Requires Java expertise, but there are tools to help.</li></ul></section></section><section><a id="Quick_Start.3A_Running_RAT"></a> |
| <h2>Quick Start: Running RAT</h2> |
| <p>There are three user interfaces for RAT: from the <a href="./apache-rat/index.html">command line</a>, from <a href="./apache-rat-task/index.html">Ant</a>, and from <a href="./apache-rat-plugin/index.html">Maven</a>.</p> |
| <p>Please see the specific documentation in one of the links above.</p></section><section><a id="Building_RAT_from_source"></a> |
| <h2>Building RAT from source</h2><section><a id="Checkout_the_code"></a> |
| <h3>Checkout the code</h3> |
| <p>RAT uses a Git repository. You can clone it using:</p> |
| <pre class="prettyprint"><code>git clone https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/creadur-rat.git</code></pre> |
| <p>For more information about how to access our repository please read our <a href="./scm.html">source code management</a> documentation.</p></section><section><a id="Building_RAT"></a> |
| <h3>Building RAT</h3> |
| <p>Build RAT with <a class="externalLink" href="https://maven.apache.org/">Apache Maven</a> preferably version 3.9.11 or later.</p> |
| <p>There are two methods for building the RAT suite:</p> |
| <pre class="prettyprint"><code>cd creadur-rat |
| mvn clean install</code></pre> |
| <p>or with the included Maven wrapper</p> |
| <pre class="prettyprint"><code>cd creadur-rat |
| ./mvnw</code></pre><section><a id="Hints_and_Tips"></a> |
| <h4>Hints and Tips</h4> |
| <p>The project creates several jars that are used later in the build process. This means that the jars for the version being build should be accessible or a error concerning a missing jar will be displayed. There are several ways to avoid this problem.</p> |
| <p>1. Include the Apache snapshot repository (https://repository.apache.org/content/repositories/snapshots<i>url</i>https://repository.apache.org/content/repositories/snapshots) in your Maven build.</p> |
| <p>2. Execute the maven install noted above. This will place the current jars in your local repository.</p> |
| <p>3. Run "mvn package" and use the resulting jar in the apache-rat sub-module for testing.</p> |
| <p>If you modify code in one sub-module you need to run "mvn install" in that module to get it into your repository so that you can use it in later repository builds. Alternatively, you can run "mvn package", or "mvn install" on the entire project.</p></section></section></section></section> </main> |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| <hr/> |
| <footer> |
| <div class="container-fluid"> |
| <div class="row-fluid"> |
| Copyright © 2016-2025 The Apache Software Foundation, Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. |
| Apache Creadur, Creadur, Apache RAT, Apache Tentacles, Apache Whisker, Apache and the ASF logo are trademarks |
| of The Apache Software Foundation. |
| Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. |
| All other marks mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| </footer> |
| </body> |
| </html> |
