Mastering Apache Maven 3

Maven is the number one build tool used by developers and it has been there for more than a decade. Maven stands out among other build tools due to its extremely extensible architecture, which is built on top of the concept, convention over configuration. That in fact has made Maven the de-facto tool for managing and building Java projects. It’s being widely used by many open source Java projects under Apache Software Foundation, Sourceforge, Google Code, and many more. Mastering Apache Maven 3 provides a step-by-step guide showing the readers how to use Apache Maven in an optimal way to address enterprise build requirements.


 Following the book readers will be able to gain a thorough understanding on following key areas.
  • Apply Maven best practices in designing a build system to improve developer productivity.
  • Customize the build process to suit it exactly to your enterprise needs by developing custom Maven plugins, lifecycles and archetypes. 
  • Troubleshoot build issues with greater confidence. Implement and deploy a Maven repository manager to manage the build process in a better and smooth way. 
  • Design the build in a way, avoiding any maintenance nightmares, with proper dependency management. 
  • Optimize Maven configuration settings. 
  • Build your own distribution archive using Maven assemblies. Build custom Maven lifecycles and lifecycle extensions.
Chapter 1, Apache Maven Quick Start, focuses on giving a quick start on Apache Maven. If you are an advanced Maven user, you can simply jump into the next chapter. Even for an advanced user it is highly recommended that you at least brush through this chapter, as it will be helpful to make sure we are on the same page as we proceed.

Chapter 2, Demystifying Project Object Model (POM), focuses on core concepts and best practices related to POM, in building a large-scale multi-module Maven project.

Chapter 3, Maven Configurations, discusses how to customize Maven configuration at three different levels – the global level, the user level, and the project level for the optimal use.

Chapter 4, Build Lifecycles, discusses Maven build lifecycle in detail. A Maven build lifecycle consists of a set of well-defined phases. Each phase groups a set of goals defined by Maven plugins – and the lifecycle defines the order of execution.

Chapter 5, Maven Plugins, explains the usage of key Maven plugins and how to build custom plugins. All the useful functionalities in the build process are developed as Maven plugins. One could also easily call Maven, a plugin execution framework.

Chapter 6, Maven Assemblies, explains how to build custom assemblies with Maven assembly plugin. The Maven assembly plugin produces a custom archive, which adheres to a user-defined layout. This custom archive is also known as the Maven assembly. In other words, it’s a distribution unit, which is built according to a custom layout.

Chapter 7, Maven Archetypes, explains how to use existing archetypes and to build custom Maven archetypes. Maven archetypes provide a way of reducing repetitive work in building Maven projects. There are thousands of archetypes out there available publicly to assist you building different types of projects.

Chapter 8, Maven Repository Management, discusses the pros and cons in using a Maven repository manager. This chapter further explains how to use Nexus as a repository manager and configure it as a hosted, proxied and group repository.

Chapter 9, Best Practices, looks at and highlights some of the best practices to be followed in a large-scale development project with Maven. It is always recommended to follow best practices since it will drastically improve developer productivity and reduce any maintenance nightmare.