This little code snippet transforms the code formatter XML description file into a properties structure which could be applied to the JDT properties later on.
def initializeFormatter() {
  def formatterDefinitions = new XmlSlurper.parse("$rootDir/misc/codeformatter.xml")
  assert formatterDefinitions instanceof GPathResult
  def Properties props = new Properties()
  formatterDefinitions.'**'.findAll{ node ->
    node.name() == 'setting'
  }*.each { n ->
    props.put(n.@id.text(), n.@value.text()
  }
  return props
}