Develop Reference

Is there a maven jigsaw jlink plugin?

Does maven have a plugin for the new Java 9 jlink I have searched online but have not been able to find anything official from the maven team.

Yes. There has been some progress made to create one on Github/maven-plugins for the same.
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-jlink-plugin</artifactId>
<version>3.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
</plugin>
The plugin in its code reads to be adaptive to JEP-282 and JEP-220 from the proposals.
And though this might look like a link too many answer. There is a working example from #khmarbaise on Github as well for this, which requires a toolchain with -
<configuration>
<jdkHome>/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.9.0_ea+170.jdk/Contents/Home</jdkHome>
</configuration>
Plus a side note from the author quoting -
Currently not more than a Proof of Concept. Everything here is speculative!
Edit1:- As shared in the comments, additional details could be found # How to create a Java runtime with Maven.
Edit2:- Dated 10 November, 2018 one can upgrade to using maven-jlink-plugin:3.0.0-alpha-1 and still provide some valuable feedback.

I'm working on ModiTect, general tooling around Java 9 modules. One of the goals of the ModiTect Maven plug-in lets you create module runtime images via jlink:
<plugin>
<groupId>org.moditect</groupId>
<artifactId>moditect-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<version>1.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>create-runtime-image</id>
<phase>package</phase>
<goals>
<goal>create-runtime-image</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<modulePath>
<path>${project.build.directory}/modules</path>
</modulePath>
<modules>
<module>com.example.module1</module>
<module>com.example.module2</module>
</modules>
<launcher>
<name>helloWorld</name>
<module>com.example.module1</module>
</launcher>
<outputDirectory>
${project.build.directory}/jlink-image
</outputDirectory>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
The plug-in is under active development right now and must be built from source for the time being (will deploy a first version to Maven Central soon).

there is mvn-jlink plugin which allows to call jdeps and jlink (and any tool provided by jdk), also it can download and unpack needed openjdk version from ADOPT and LIBERICA, such way allows build cross-platform images
<plugin>
<groupId>com.igormaznitsa</groupId>
<artifactId>mvn-jlink-wrapper</artifactId>
<version>1.0.0</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>call-jlink</id>
<goals>
<goal>jlink</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<jdepsReportPath>${project.build.directory}${file.separator}jdeps.out</jdepsReportPath>
<output>${project.build.directory}${file.separator}preparedJDK</output>
<addModules>
<module>java.compiler</module>
</addModules>
<options>
<option>--compress=2</option>
<option>--no-header-files</option>
<option>--no-man-pages</option>
</options>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>

Maybe check out https://github.com/ghackenberg/jigsaw-maven-plugin. The plugin also supports
jdeps --generate-module-info + javac + jar for patching unnamed modules,
jlink for creating runtime images, and
jpackage for creating application installers (only available since JDK 14 though).
You find the plugin documentation on the Github README page.
<plugin>
<groupId>io.github.ghackenberg</groupId>
<artifactId>jigsaw-maven-plugin</artifactId>
<version>1.1.3</version>
</plugin>

Specifying Java version in maven - differences between properties and compiler plugin

I'm not very experienced with Maven and while experimenting with multi-module project I started wondering how can I specify Java version for all my child modules in parent Maven pom. Until today I was using just:
<properties>
<java.version>1.8</java.version>
</properties>
...but when researching I found that you can also specify Java version in Maven compiler plugin, like that:
<plugins>
<plugin>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<configuration>
<source>1.8</source>
<target>1.8</target>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
And then wrap this into plugin management tag to enable child poms usage of this. So the first question is this:
What are the differences beetwen setting Java version in properties and in Maven compiler plugin?
I couldn't find clear answer but in process of researching I found that you can also specify Java version in this way:
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
</properties>
...which suggest that compiler plugin is there even if I don't explicit declare it. Running mvn package outputs with
maven-compiler-plugin:3.1:compile (default-compile) # testproj ---
...and some other plugins that I didn't declare.
So are those plugins default, hidden part of Maven pom? Are there any differences between setting source/target in properties and in Maven plugin configuration element?
Some other questions are - which way should be used (and when if they are not equal)? Which one is best for multi-module project and what happens if Java version specified in pom is different than version pointed in JAVA_HOME?

How to specify the JDK version?
Use any of three ways: (1) Spring Boot feature, or use Maven compiler plugin with either (2) source & target or (3) with release.
Spring Boot
<java.version> is not referenced in the Maven documentation.
It is a Spring Boot specificity.
It allows to set the source and the target java version with the same version such as this one to specify java 1.8 for both :
1.8
Feel free to use it if you use Spring Boot.
maven-compiler-plugin with source & target
Using maven-compiler-plugin or maven.compiler.source/maven.compiler.target properties are equivalent.
That is indeed :
<plugins>
<plugin>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<configuration>
<source>1.8</source>
<target>1.8</target>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
is equivalent to :
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
</properties>
according to the Maven documentation of the compiler plugin
since the <source> and the <target> elements in the compiler configuration use the properties maven.compiler.source and maven.compiler.target if they are defined.
source
The -source argument for the Java compiler.
NOTE: Since 3.8.0 the default value has changed from 1.5 to 1.6. Since 3.9.0 the default value has changed from 1.6 to 1.7
Default value is: 1.7.
User property is: maven.compiler.source.
target
The -target argument for the Java compiler.
NOTE: Since 3.8.0 the default value has changed from 1.5 to 1.6. Since 3.9.0 the default value has changed from 1.6 to 1.7
Default value is: 1.6.
User property is: maven.compiler.target.
About the default values for source and target, note that
since the 3.8.0 of the maven compiler, the default values have changed from 1.5 to 1.6.
maven-compiler-plugin with release instead of source & target
The maven-compiler-plugin 3.6 and later versions provide a new way :
org.apache.maven.plugins
maven-compiler-plugin
3.8.0
9
You could also declare just :
<properties>
<maven.compiler.release>9</maven.compiler.release>
</properties>
But at this time it will not work as the maven-compiler-plugin default version you use doesn't rely on a recent enough version.
The Maven release argument conveys release : a new JVM standard option that we could pass from Java 9 :
Compiles against the public, supported and documented API for a
specific VM version.
This way provides a standard way to specify the same version for the source, the target and the bootstrap JVM options.
Note that specifying the bootstrap is a good practice for cross compilations and it will not hurt if you don't make cross compilations either.
Which is the best way to specify the JDK version?
The first way (<java.version>) is allowed only if you use Spring Boot.
For Java 8 and below :
About the two other ways : valuing the maven.compiler.source/maven.compiler.target properties or using the maven-compiler-plugin, you can use one or the other. It changes nothing in the facts since finally the two solutions rely on the same properties and the same mechanism : the maven core compiler plugin.
Well, if you don't need to specify other properties or behavior than Java versions in the compiler plugin, using this way makes more sense as this is more concise:
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
</properties>
From Java 9 :
The release argument (third point) is a way to strongly consider if you want to use the same version for the source and the target.
What happens if the version differs between the JDK in JAVA_HOME and which one specified in the pom.xml?
It is not a problem if the JDK referenced by the JAVA_HOME is compatible with the version specified in the pom but to ensure a better cross-compilation compatibility think about adding the bootstrap JVM option with as value the path of the rt.jar of the target version.
An important thing to consider is that the source and the target version in the Maven configuration should not be superior to the JDK version referenced by the JAVA_HOME.
A older version of the JDK cannot compile with a more recent version since it doesn't know its specification.
To get information about the source, target and release supported versions according to the used JDK, please refer to java compilation : source, target and release supported versions.
How handle the case of JDK referenced by the JAVA_HOME is not compatible with the java target and/or source versions specified in the pom?
For example, if your JAVA_HOME refers to a JDK 1.7 and you specify a JDK 1.8 as source and target in the compiler configuration of your pom.xml, it will be a problem because as explained, the JDK 1.7 doesn't know how to compile with.
From its point of view, it is an unknown JDK version since it was released after it.
In this case, you should configure the Maven compiler plugin to specify the JDK in this way :
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<configuration>
<source>1.8</source>
<target>1.8</target>
<compilerVersion>1.8</compilerVersion>
<fork>true</fork>
<executable>D:\jdk1.8\bin\javac</executable>
</configuration>
</plugin>
You could have more details in examples with maven compiler plugin.
It is not asked but cases where that may be more complicated is when you specify source but not target. It may use a different version in target according to the source version. Rules are particular : you can read about them in the Cross-Compilation Options part.
Why the compiler plugin is traced in the output at the execution of the Maven package goal even if you don't specify it in the pom.xml?
To compile your code and more generally to perform all tasks required for a maven goal, Maven needs tools. So, it uses core Maven plugins (you recognize a core Maven plugin by its groupId : org.apache.maven.plugins) to do the required tasks : compiler plugin for compiling classes, test plugin for executing tests, and so for... So, even if you don't declare these plugins, they are bound to the execution of the Maven lifecycle.
At the root dir of your Maven project, you can run the command : mvn help:effective-pom to get the final pom effectively used. You could see among other information, attached plugins by Maven (specified or not in your pom.xml), with the used version, their configuration and the executed goals for each phase of the lifecycle.
In the output of the mvn help:effective-pom command, you could see the declaration of these core plugins in the <build><plugins> element, for example :
...
<plugin>
<artifactId>maven-clean-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.5</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>default-clean</id>
<phase>clean</phase>
<goals>
<goal>clean</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
<plugin>
<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.6</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>default-testResources</id>
<phase>process-test-resources</phase>
<goals>
<goal>testResources</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>default-resources</id>
<phase>process-resources</phase>
<goals>
<goal>resources</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
<plugin>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<version>3.1</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>default-compile</id>
<phase>compile</phase>
<goals>
<goal>compile</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
<execution>
<id>default-testCompile</id>
<phase>test-compile</phase>
<goals>
<goal>testCompile</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
...
You can have more information about it in the introduction of the Maven lifeycle in the Maven documentation.
Nevertheless, you can declare these plugins when you want to configure them with other values as default values (for example, you did it when you declared the maven-compiler plugin in your pom.xml to adjust the JDK version to use) or when you want to add some plugin executions not used by default in the Maven lifecycle.

None of the solutions above worked for me straight away. So I followed these steps:
Add in pom.xml:
<properties>
<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
<maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
</properties>
Go to Project Properties > Java Build Path, then remove the JRE
System Library pointing to JRE1.5.
Force updated the project.

The below steps work for me like charm! so thought to share with everyone.
These are the lines i added in the pom.xml file to work with a basic project. I am using Java 12 (you can replace yours 11, 10, 1.8 etc).
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>12</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>12</maven.compiler.target>
</properties>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<version>3.8.1</version>
<configuration>
<release>12</release>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
After changing the pom file please reload your project so that IDE can download/fetch the plugin to the project. (For IntelijIDEA: Right-click on pom.xml -> Go to maven -> Reload project).
please make sure to configure the desire version in your IDE as well.

if you are using IntelliJ idea maven build.

Consider the alternative:
<properties>
<javac.src.version>1.8</javac.src.version>
<javac.target.version>1.8</javac.target.version>
</properties>
It should be the same thing of maven.compiler.source/maven.compiler.target but the above solution works for me, otherwise the second one gets the parent specification (I have a matrioska of .pom)

For NetBeans IDE, changing project properties - (Jersey Service) - Categories > Sources >
Selected 'Source/Binary Format' as 1.8.

Two maven versions required in pom.xml - what to do?

I'm trying to build JavaOCR project with mvn clean install. There is used maven-enforcer-plugin in the pom.xml and there are two required Maven versions. (Or maybe I misunderstood something)
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
<version>1.4</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>enforce-versions</id>
<goals>
<goal>enforce</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<rules>
<requireMavenVersion>
<!--different rules for different issues-->
<!--3.3.x causes `java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/eclipse/aether/spi/connector/Transfer$State` which is caused by certain maven versions, see https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/MAVEN/AetherClassNotFound for details-->
<version>(,3.3)</version>
<!--3.2.x causes `No implementation for org.eclipse.aether.connector.wagon.WagonConfigurator was bound.`-->
<version>(,3.2)</version>
</requireMavenVersion>
</rules>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
Currently I have installed maven 3.3.3 and it throws the java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError error (same as described in the comment in pom.xml), so I cannot build it.
My question is what version should I use to build the project successfully? Is it possible to use two maven versions simultaneously?

According to Maven's Version Range Specification documentation, that's specifying a range, not a specific version. (,3.2) means anything less than version 3.2, so those two configurations are compatible: for example, use version 3.1.
This is reinforced by the comments in the pom file, which say that versions 3.2.x and 3.3.x cause errors, so don't use them.
See also
Version Range Specification

Increment version in every Jenkin's build and update dependencies

I have a number of Maven projects being built my Jenkins server. These projects have dependencies on each other, e.g.
service-base -> java-base -> pom-base
In other words, the Maven project service-base depends on the Maven project java-base. Naturally, my POM files look like this:
<project>
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<groupId>my.com</groupId>
<artifactId>service-base</artifactId>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>my.com</groupId>
<artifactId>java-base</artifactId>
<version>1.0.0</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</project>
The issue is that none of my Maven projects have "releases" per-se, since I'm using continuous integration to release my changes. Currently, I allow artifact overwriting in my Maven repo and keep all of my versions at 1.0.0. This is because I release my packages many times a day and changing the versions in all the POM files each time I submit a new package version.
Ideally, what I would like is for Jenkins to generate a new version, e.g. 1.0.{BUILD_NUMBER} and then for it update the dependencies all the way up the dependency tree.
Question: Is this possible? Or does anyone have any other solutions to versioning?

Here is how I achieved the same, using Maven profiles, Maven classifiers and Jenkins parametrized builds.
You can define a jenkins profile (or whatever name you prefer) in the pom of the concerned projects. This profile will not be active by default, so your local builds will keep on working as usual. However, this profile will be activated on the Jenkins builds (via the -Pjenkins option on the Maven execution).
How this profile look like in the project at the top of the hierarchy:
<profiles>
<profile>
<id>jenkins</id>
<properties>
<groupId>${project.groupId}</groupId>
<artifactId>${project.artifactId}</artifactId>
<version>${project.version}</version>
<packaging>${project.packaging}</packaging>
</properties>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.5</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>generate-default-version</id>
<phase>package</phase>
<goals>
<goal>jar</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<classifier>${BUILD_NUMBER}</classifier>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-install-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.4</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>install-default-version</id>
<phase>install</phase>
<goals>
<goal>install-file</goal>
</goals>
<configuration>
<file>${project.build.directory}/${project.build.finalName}-${BUILD_NUMBER}.${project.packaging}</file>
</configuration>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
</profile>
</profiles>
What is the profile doing?
We are using the Maven Jar Plugin to generate on the package phase yet another artefact for the same project, so the project will create the normal jar plus another jar having as classifier the BUILD_NUMBER (i.e. myproject-1.0.jar and myproject-1.0-4567.jar)
We are also using the Maven Install Plugin to install the additional artefact (the myproject-1.0-4567.jar) into the local Maven cache (so it will be visible to other dependent projects)
We need to define some properties for the Install Plugin, otherwise the install-file will not work
Hence, when on your Jenkins build you will execute the following:
mvn clean install -Pjenkins -DBUILD_NUMBER=${BUILD_NUMBER}
Jenkins will actually pass its BUILD_NUMBER to Maven, which will use it as defined in the jenkins profile and create (and install) an additional artefact for us using it as classifier.
Fine, now we have a dynamically created artefact using the Jenkins build number and available for other projects/builds.
But how other projects can use it?
We define in the dependent projects another profile (or again called jenkins for coherency) and re-define the dependency we now need at runtime:
<profiles>
<profile>
<id>jenkins</id>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.sample</groupId>
<artifactId>test</artifactId>
<version>1.1.0</version>
<classifier>${BUILD_NUMBER}</classifier>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</profile>
</profiles>
Note: we are actually overriding as part of the profile a dependency and saying we want that specific classifier for it. Which classifier? The BUILD_NUMBER classifier, which will be available in the local Maven cache of the Jenkins server because installed by the previous build.
But how can the dependent build know which build number and as such which classifier to use, dynamically?
Using Jenkins parametrized builds and the Jenkins Parametrized Trigger plugin.
So, to summarize:
Provider project defines the profile to create additional classifier
Consumer project defines the profile to use as dependency a specific classifier
If a project is Provider for others and Consumer of others, it can then merge the two approaches above in the same profile
The first Jenkins build activates this specific profile and pass to Maven its build number
The downstream Jenkins builds are triggered by the first, which is passing them its build number via the Parametrized Plugin
Each downstream build would then resolve the classifier specified by the parameter and, if required, also create yet another classifier for its own build (according to its profile)
Using this approach, you local builds will keep on working as usual and no classifier would be used, while Jenkins builds would use an additional classifier used across them.

Get sources of a snapshot dependency on Eclipse

Something bother me a lot...
On a big project with many dependencies, some of them are set as SNAPSHOT in Maven2.
The matter is that it seems i can't get the sources through Eclipse without loading the project or fixing the dependency to the last release.
For debugging, it's really annoying me...
EDIT
This is what i get in eclipse maven console:
26/08/10 11:31:46 CEST: Downloading http://repo-maven/archiva/repository/snapshots/com/blabla/1.1-SNAPSHOT/blabla-1.1-20100824.213711-80-javadoc.jar
26/08/10 11:31:47 CEST: Could not download sources for com.blabla:blabla:1.1-20100824.213711-80
On archiva i can see the deployed stuff i want to retrieve in eclipse...
Repository snapshots
Group ID com.blabla
Artifact ID blabla
Version 1.1-20100824.213711-80
Packaging jar
Parent com.blabla bla 1.1-SNAPSHOT (View)
Other Versions 1.1-20100824.213535-79
I can download sources of this artifact with my browser but not within Eclipse... Any idea?

The matter is that it seems I can't get the sources through Eclipse without loading the project or fixing the dependency to the last release. For debugging, it's really annoying me...
Well, these modules are probably not publishing source JARs as part of the "regular" build process (i.e. outside the release). If these modules are under your control (which is my understanding), configuring the Maven Source Plugin to produce source JARs for them and deploying them in your corporate repo should solve the problem. From the Usage page:
Installing the sources along with your artifact
There are two ways to do this. You can
either bind this plugin to a phase or
you can add it to a profile. The goals
source:jar-no-fork and
source:test-jar-no-fork are preferred
for binding the goal to the build
lifecycle.
Installing the sources using a phase binding
Here is how you would configure the
plugin in your pom.xml to run
automatically during the verify phase:
<project>
...
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.1.2</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>attach-sources</id>
<phase>verify</phase>
<goals>
<goal>jar-no-fork</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
...
</project>
We are using the verify phase here
because it is the phase that comes
before the install phase, thus making
sure that the sources jar has been
created before the install takes
place.
Installing the sources using a profile
If you want to install a jar of your
sources along with your artifact
during the release process, you can
add this to your pom.xml file:
<project>
...
<profiles>
<profile>
<id>release</id>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.1.2</version>
<executions>
<execution>
<id>attach-sources</id>
<goals>
<goal>jar-no-fork</goal>
</goals>
</execution>
</executions>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
</profile>
</profiles>
...
</project>
Using a profile would probably be a good idea so that building source JARs will only be done by the build running at the CI server level but not on developer machines.