Do you know that the software industry considers Java a god language? Have you ever tried doing projects in java? Do you know how convenient it is to work with Java using Maven? Do you know what are Maven Artifacts? Don’t worry coding ninjas is here for you.
Let us study this very cool technology in this blog. Keep reading, Ninja!
What Is Maven?
Maven is a technology used to build and manage any Java-based project. It has various functionalities like creating, compiling, deployment, source management, etc. The next question is, how does Maven do it? Every Maven project consists of a POM file, and it is used for configuring.
What Is a Maven Artifact?
The general definition of an artifact is a project that can produce. If we consider the terms of Maven, the output obtained after we build a Maven Project is known as Maven Artifact.
The artifact can be any executable file. The examples are jar file and war file.
There are a few critical elements in Maven artifacts-
Groupid
Artifactid
Version
Packaging
Classifier
These elements are used for identifying, and we popularly refer to them as Maven coordinates. Let us now study these!
Maven Coordinates
We define Maven coordinate as a combination of groupid, artifactid, and version for a specific artifact. Maven takes the help of the coordinates to match components. It matches the values for groupid, artifactid, and version.
It is necessary to define groupid, artifactid, and version among all the coordinates. It is optional to determine the packaging element. It is also important to know that we must do something other than directly set the classifier.
The groupId Element
The groupid element is used to identify the group at the project's origin. This element makes it possible to organize and find the task quickly.
groupid element follows the same rules as java packages. We are programmed to choose as a groupid the name of the top package of the project.
For instance, a groupId of org.apache.codingNinjas matches with
${repository_home}/org/apache/codingNinjas
The artifactId Element
If we want to identify the elements within the project, we rely on the artifactId element. We used this element to formulate the final name of the artifact. There are certain specifications while deciding the name. One such specification is the length should be small. Using the actual project name as a prefix is good practice. We do it because searching for projects becomes easier.
Taking an example, an artifactId of codingNinjas-lang under a groupId of org.apache.commons would mean that the artifact is present under
The version is an important identifier. The version element informs about the present version of the Maven Project. The version is present as a subdirectory in the directory tree. The directory is formed by the groupId and artifactId.
For instance, a version of 3.0.1 for an artifactId coding Ninjas-lang under the groupId of org.apache.codingNinjas would mean that the artifact is present under
We use the packaging element to decide the type of artifact that the project generates. The following formats are allowed.
ZIP
WAR (Web Application Archive)
EAR (Enterprise Application Archive)
SWC
NAR ( NiFi Archive)
SWF (ShockWave Flash)
SAR (Service Archive)
Using the packaging element, we can specify different types of goals in the lifecycle of the project. The package phase will prefer a jar goal for a jar artifact and a zip goal for a zip artifact.
The classifier Element
As a programmer, if we wish to deliver the same codebase but show it as separate artifacts, we use the classifier element. Let us consider a situation where we have to build two artifacts of a ZIP file with different compilers. We will perform this action using the classifier element. It will allow us to produce two other artifacts with the same combination of groupId:artifactId:version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Name various binary formats allowed by Packaging Element.
We use the packaging element to decide the type of artifact that the project generates. ZIP, WAR, EAR, NAR, SAR, and SWC are some formats allowed by the packaging element.
Name the compulsory Maven coordinates.
The groupId, artifactId, and version are the compulsory maven attributes. This is because they are a basic requirement for identification. Packaging and classifier are optional.
What is a POM File?
POM stands for Project Object Model. This file contains the details of the project and its configuration information. This information is used by Maven to build a project.
What is the significance of Maven Coordinates?
Maven coordinates are a combination of groupid, artifactid, and version for a specific artifact. Maven takes the help of the coordinates to match components. It matches the values for groupid, artifactid, and version.
Describe the use of the Classifier element in Maven.
We use the Classifier element if we wish to deliver the same codebase but show it as separate artifacts. It will allow us to produce two other artifacts with the same combination of groupId:artifactId:version.
Conclusion
We studied Maven Artifacts in this blog. We also explored various Maven coordinates. We hope that this blog gave you clarity and confidence on Maven Artifacts. For more reference on Maven, feel free to refer to these articles-
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