Maven war plugin, not getting dependencies from parent pom

Question

My objective is to include a war to another war. See My Project structure:

+test-parent (here goes all common dependencies for spring & hibernate framework) -- test-core (the collection of all common classes type:jar) -- test-web (the webapp which should run as individual webapp, depends on test-core, type:war) -- test-web-2 (the webapp which depends on test-web,test-core, type:war)

I have used maven war plugin to achieve this.

test-parent/pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>
    <modules>
        <module>test-core</module>
        <module>test-web</module>
        <module>test-web-2</module>
    </modules>
    <dependencies>
        <!-- All common spring & hibernate dependencies -->
    </dependencies>
</project>

test-core/pom.xml

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
  <parent>
    <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
  </parent>
  <artifactId>test-core</artifactId>
</project>

test-web/pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"
    xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
        <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-web</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>war</packaging>
    <name>test-web Maven Webapp</name>
    <url>http://maven.apache.org</url>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>junit</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
            <version>3.8.1</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-core</artifactId>
            <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
    <build>
        <finalName>test-web</finalName>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>2.4</version>
                <configuration>
                    <packagingIncludes>**/*.xml,**/*.properties,**/*.class,**/*.png,**/*.css,**/*.js,**/*.jsp</packagingIncludes>
                    <packagingExcludes>WEB-INF/web.xml</packagingExcludes>
                    <attachClasses>true</attachClasses>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

test-web-2/pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<project
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"
    xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
        <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-web-2</artifactId>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>war</packaging>
    <name>test-web-2 Maven Webapp</name>
    <url>http://maven.apache.org</url>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>junit</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
            <version>3.8.1</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web</artifactId>
            <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
            <type>war</type>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web</artifactId>
            <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
            <classifier>classes</classifier>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
    <build>
        <finalName>test-web-2</finalName>
    </build>
</project>

As my test-web-2 depends on test-web, I want to merge all classes,resources in test-web-2. when I run mvn install my all builds are successful, but when I run test-web or test-web-2 on server, it has no lib folder under WEB-INF with all required spring jars from parent.

I have given package & jsp file names different in both projects. I am even able to see the proper merged build as required.

How can I get this lib folder generated in both test-web & test-web-2 project with all dependent jars from parent?

Answer 1

Simplify project configuration. Separate java source code from WAR to JAR. After this you can simply add this JAR to another WAR as dependency. Merging java code in this case is not good idea.

For merging resources from WAR use maven overlays.

Sample solution

* test-parent.pom
  * test-core (test-core.jar)         - shared code
  * test-web-parent (test-web-parent.pom)   - first project
    * core (test-web-core.jar)
    * web (test-web.war)
  * test-web-2-parent (test-web-2-parent.pom) - second project
    * core (test-web-2-core.jar)
    * web (test-web-2.war)

test-web.war have dependencies:

• test-web-core.jar
• test-core.jar

test-web-2.war have dependencies:

• test-web-2-core.jar
• test-core.jar

Configuration

test-parent.pom

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

    <modules>
        <module>test-core</module>
        <module>test-web-parent</module>
        <module>test-web-2-parent</module>
    </modules>

</project>

test-core.jar

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-core</artifactId>

</project>

test-web-parent.pom

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web-parent</artifactId>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>
    <modules>
        <module>core</module>
        <module>web</module>
    </modules>

</project>

test-web-core.jar

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-web-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web-core</artifactId>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-core</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

test-web.war

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-web-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web</artifactId>
    <packaging>war</packaging>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web-core</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
            <type>jar</type>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

test-web-2-parent.pom

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web-2-parent</artifactId>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>

    <modules>
        <module>core</module>
        <module>web</module>
    </modules>

</project>

test-web-2-core.jar

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-web-2-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web-2-core</artifactId>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-core</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

test-web-2.war

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
        <artifactId>test-web-2-parent</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>test-web-2</artifactId>
    <packaging>war</packaging>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web-2-core</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </dependency>
        <!--first war-->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
            <scope>runtime</scope>
            <type>war</type>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>test-parent</groupId>
            <artifactId>test-web-core</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

Source code

• https://github.com/mariuszs/stackoverflow-war-bounty

Answer 2

I think that the problem is that you're trying to do something that does not fit with J2EE standard. It makes no sense to include a war file in another war file.

The 'standard' way to handle such dependencies is to package your deployment as a .ear file, with shared resources packaged as jar files within the ear, and war files that use those shared dependencies also in the ear file.

Look at the maven packaging plugin's "ear" packaging options.