Apache Maven

Apache Maven is a powerful project management and comprehension tool used primarily for [[Java]] projects. It provides developers with a complete build lifecycle framework and is developed by the Apache Software Foundation. Maven uses a [[Project Object Model (POM)]] and a set of plugins to manage a project's build, reporting, and documentation.

Maven is based on the POM (Project Object Model), which is defined in an [[Extensible Markup Language|XML]] file (pom.xml). This file describes the project, its dependencies, build order, external libraries needed, and other configurations.

One of Maven's key features is its dependency management. It automatically downloads the libraries and plugins required for a project, which are defined in the pom.xml. Dependencies are retrieved from a central repository and stored in a local cache.

Maven provides a standardized way to build projects. It uses a default build lifecycle that includes phases like compile, test, package, and install. The build process in Maven is extensible and can be customized with plugins. Each plugin can have one or more goals that are tied to different phases of the lifecycle.

Maven follows a "convention over configuration" principle, meaning it provides default values for most project settings. This reduces the need for explicit configuration and makes project setup easier and more straightforward.

Maven excels at handling multi-module projects, where an overall project is composed of several sub-projects, each with its own pom.xml file. Maven’s build process includes several lifecycle phases, allowing developers to clean, validate, compile, test, package, verify, install, and deploy their code systematically.

Maven can generate project structures using archetypes. An archetype is a project template, which is particularly useful for standardizing and simplifying the process of project setup.