Java | Multiple POM files in single project

Question

I'm building an Automation Tool using Java Automation Framework under the hood, to which users will not have access to the main POM.xml file. Sometimes users require to add a custom Java function which requires additional depedencies / repositories. Presently I have to make changes to the main POM file to accommodate the user request. User has access only to "src/test/java/com/script/custom" folder to write custom scripts / functions. I have explored options like Parent/Child POM, Plugin Management, Profile, etc. but examples are mainly for multiple projects. I'm a NodeJs/Angular person, so I'm a beginner at Java.

Project
  |
  |--src/test/java/com/script/custom
  |                             |
  |                             custom_code.java
  |                             |
  |                             custom_pom.xml
  |
  --pom.xml

Users should only enter additional dependencies / repos in custom_pom.xml. Parent pom.xml will still hold the main dependencies/repos of the project.

Does `custom_code` test Java code in `Project/src/main/java` or something else? — Gerold Broser, Jun 21 '21 at 20:36
custom_code.java is inside "src/test/java/com/script/custom" — Renish, Jun 22 '21 at 04:03
This is against one of Maven's core concepts: code in `src/test` tests code in `src/main`. See also [Standard Directory Layout](https://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-the-standard-directory-layout.html): "_The `src` directory contains all of the source material for building the project, its site and so on. It contains a subdirectory for each type: [...] `test` for the unit test code and resources_". See [my answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/68074333/1744774). — Gerold Broser, Jun 22 '21 at 09:40

Gerold Broser · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-01T20:54:22.007

Running code (apart from tests) is against the core concept of Maven as a build tool. There are ways, however, to excute arbitrary code at build time:

Exec Maven Plugin
without an additional plugin (and with cleanly separated projects):

  +- project
  |  +- pom.xml
  +- custom
     +- src/main/java/com/script/custom
     |  +- CustomCode.java  ... convention for Java class names is CamelCase
     +- src/test/java/com/script/custom
     |  +- CustomCodeTest.java  ... instantiates and runs CustomCode 
     +- pom.xml  ... containing <parent><relativePath>../project

For <parent> see Introduction to the POM #Project Inheritance. See also Maven: Lifecycle vs. Phase vs. Plugin vs. Goal for further basics.

Java | Multiple POM files in single project

1 Answers1