Multi-module Maven project and jetty:run

Question

I'm trying to split a Maven WAR project into two modules, so that I can build a separate JAR file with command line tools. The result has the following structure:

• pom.xml (packaging pom, has two modules)
• project-jar/
  • pom.xml (packaging jar)
• project-war/
  • pom.xml (packaging war, depends on project-jar)

If I run mvn commands from the root, everything works fine. I'd like to keep using mvn jetty:run, but for that I need to execute the command in the WAR subproject. If I do that, fails to find the project-jar subproject, so it won't run. Even mvn jetty:run-war with a completely assembled WAR file in the target directory fails, because it first tries to "build" the project. I've only managed to make it work by installing project-jar into the local Maven repository, which isn't very nice.

Is there a way to use the Jetty plugin in a multi-module Maven configuration?

Answer 1

Create a profile inside the war module (project-war). Within this profile, configure jetty to attach to a lifecycle phase and execute the run goal explicitly. Now when maven runs from the toplevel project with that profile enabled, it will invoke jetty:run and have sister module dependency resolution (as is normal when executing maven commands from the toplevel project).

The example configuration, when placed in the pom.xml of the web module (project-war), arranges for jetty:run to execute during the test phase. (You may choose another phase, but make sure it's after compile.)

Run from toplevel: mvn test -Pjetty-run or mvn test -DskipTests=true -Pjetty-run. This will compile dependencies as required and make them available but invoke jetty:run within the correct module.

<profiles>
  ...
  <!-- With this profile, jetty will run during the "test" phase -->
  <profile>
    <id>jetty-run</id>
    <build>
      <plugins>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.mortbay.jetty</groupId>
          <artifactId>jetty-maven-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>7.1.6.v20100715</version>
          <configuration>
            ...
            <webAppSourceDirectory>
              ${project.build.directory}/${project.build.finalName}
            </webAppSourceDirectory>
            ...
          </configuration>
          <executions>
            <execution>
              <id>jetty-run</id>
              <phase>test</phase>
              <goals>
                <goal>run</goal>
              </goals>
            </execution>
          </executions>
        </plugin>
      </plugins>
    </build>
  </profile>
...
</profiles>