Index: src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/cvspublic/ant/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java,v
retrieving revision 1.47
diff -u -r1.47 ProjectHelper2.java
--- src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java	24 May 2004 15:09:57 -0000	1.47
+++ src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/helper/ProjectHelper2.java	27 May 2004 18:01:17 -0000
@@ -159,12 +159,6 @@
             buildFileName = buildFile.toString();
 //         } else if (source instanceof InputStream ) {
         } else if (source instanceof URL) {
-            if (handler.getCurrentAntHandler() != elementHandler) {
-                throw new BuildException(
-                    "Source " + source.getClass().getName()
-                    + " not supported by this plugin for "
-                    + " non task xml");
-            }
             url = (URL) source;
             buildFileName = url.toString();
 //         } else if (source instanceof InputSource ) {
Index: src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ImportTask.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/cvspublic/ant/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ImportTask.java,v
retrieving revision 1.28
diff -u -r1.28 ImportTask.java
--- src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ImportTask.java	28 Apr 2004 09:01:08 -0000	1.28
+++ src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/ImportTask.java	27 May 2004 18:01:17 -0000
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Vector;
 
 /**
@@ -45,17 +46,23 @@
  * <import file="../common-targets.xml" />
  * </pre>
  * Import targets from a file in a parent directory.
- *<p>
+ *<p/>
  * <pre>
  * &lt;import file="${deploy-platform}.xml" /&gt;
  * </pre>
  * Import the project defined by the property deploy-platform
+ *<p/>
+ * <pre>
+ * &lt;import url="http://${myhost}/common.xml" /&gt;
+ * </pre>
+ * Import a project from a URL
  *
  * @since Ant1.6
  * @ant.task category="control"
  */
 public class ImportTask extends Task {
     private String file;
+    private String url;
     private boolean optional;
     private static final FileUtils FILE_UTILS = FileUtils.newFileUtils();
 
@@ -81,12 +88,23 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * the name of the URL to import
+     * @param URL of the file
+     */
+    public void setUrl(String url) {
+        this.url = url;
+    }
+
+    /**
      *  This relies on the task order model.
      *
      */
     public void execute() {
-        if (file == null) {
-            throw new BuildException("import requires file attribute");
+        if (file == null && url == null) {
+            throw new BuildException("import requires either file attribute or url attribute");
+        }
+        if (file != null && url != null) {
+            throw new BuildException("import allows only one of file attribute or url attribute");
         }
         if (getOwningTarget() == null
             || !"".equals(getOwningTarget().getName())) {
@@ -110,26 +128,52 @@
         File buildFile = new File(getLocation().getFileName());
         buildFile = new File(buildFile.getAbsolutePath());
 
-        getProject().log("Importing file " + file + " from "
-                         + buildFile.getAbsolutePath(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
 
         // Paths are relative to the build file they're imported from,
         // *not* the current directory (same as entity includes).
 
-        File buildFileParent = new File(buildFile.getParent());
-        File importedFile = FILE_UTILS.resolveFile(buildFileParent,  file);
-
-        if (!importedFile.exists()) {
-            String message =
-                "Cannot find " + file + " imported from "
-                + buildFile.getAbsolutePath();
-            if (optional) {
-                getProject().log(message, Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
-                return;
-            } else {
-                throw new BuildException(message);
+        Object importedFile;
+        if (file != null) {
+            getProject().log("Importing file " + file + " from "
+                         + buildFile.getAbsolutePath(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+            
+            File buildFileParent = new File(buildFile.getParent());
+            importedFile = FILE_UTILS.resolveFile(buildFileParent,  file);
+    
+            if (!((File)importedFile).exists()) {
+                String message =
+                    "Cannot find " + file + " imported from "
+                    + buildFile.getAbsolutePath();
+                if (optional) {
+                    getProject().log(message, Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+                    return;
+                } else {
+                    throw new BuildException(message);
+                }
             }
+        } else {
+            getProject().log("Importing url " + url + " from "
+                         + buildFile.getAbsolutePath(), Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+            
+            URL importedURL;
+            try {
+                importedURL = new URL(url); // can throw MalformedURLException
+                importedURL.openStream().close(); // can throw IOException
+            } catch (java.io.IOException e) {
+                String message =
+                    "Cannot access url: " + url + " imported from "
+                    + buildFile.getAbsolutePath();
+                if (optional) {
+                    getProject().log(message, Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
+                    return;
+                } else {
+                    throw new BuildException(message);
+                }
+            }
+                
+            importedFile = importedURL;
         }
+
 
         if (importStack.contains(importedFile)) {
             getProject().log(