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I use a project layout like the first one described in the accepted answer to this question. If my parent-pom is managed, built and deployed separate from my project POMs, how can I ensure the pluginManagement section of my parent-pom is valid?

Maven only checks plugins that actually get used in the build as far as I can tell. Since most of the plugins I'm declaring in pluginManagement don't get used when I build the parent-pom, I have no way of knowing if I have an invalid entry until a child project tries to use a plugin it expects to be managed by the parent-pom.

I've tried the versions plugin, but it seems to ignore plugins that don't exist (ex: typos). I've tried declaring the plugins in my parent-pom with inherited=false, but then I have to tie every declared plugin to a phase. Plus, I don't necessarily want to run those plugins against my parent-pom.

I know lots of people use a parent-pom or a super-pom of some type, so there has to be something I'm overlooking.

Community
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Ryan J
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1 Answers1

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In your parent pom module create a set of test maven projects, all inheriting parent pom, using some or all of the plugins defined there, and have parent pom run and verify build success of test maven projects. maven-invoker-plugin can help you in accomplishing all this. This plugin is used a lot for testing maven core plugins so you can find more usage examples in sources of maven core plugins.

Another advice is to add plugins to parent pom pluginManagement only when you need them, then you will have opportunity to test it as well. So steps are, start building a project which uses a given plugin not yet present in parent pom, add plugin to parent pom, release parent pom snapshot, make use of that snapshot in new project, if all OK release parent pom, and adjust reference to parent pom in new project. Later for another or same project if you need additional plugin or newer version of plugin already specified in parent pom, adjust parent pom, release new parent pom snapshot, check if it works for the given project, and if it does release parent pom, and adjust parent reference to newly released parent pom.

Stevo Slavić
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  • I'm accepting this answer. I don't like the solution, but I believe it's correct and, as far as I can tell, the only way of accomplishing what I've asked. – Ryan J Sep 21 '11 at 05:15