Maven POM

Last Updated : 24 Oct, 2025

POM stands for Project Object Model. The pom.xml file is the core configuration file of a Maven project. It defines project metadata, dependencies, plugins, and build configurations required to compile, test, package, and deploy the application.

A properly structured POM file ensures consistent builds and dependency management across environments.

Basic pom.xml Structure

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>
    <groupId>com.geeks</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-gateway-security</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

    <properties>
        <java.version>17</java.version>
        <spring-boot.version>3.2.0</spring-boot.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-gateway</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-security</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>

</project>

Maven POM Workflow

POM-Work-Flow — POM worklfow

Initialization: Maven reads the pom.xml and initializes the project.
Dependency Resolution: Downloads all defined dependencies from repositories.
Build Lifecycle Execution: Runs phases like compile, test, package, and verify.
Plugin Execution: Executes plugin goals such as code compilation, testing, and analysis.
Packaging: Generates JAR/WAR/EAR files as defined in the POM.
Deployment: Uploads the final artifact to a remote repository or server.

Major Sections of pom.xml

1. Project Information (<project>)

This is the root element of the POM file. It contains all project-related metadata and configuration used by Maven to manage the build process.

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">

2. Project Coordinates

Defines unique identifiers for your project in a Maven repository.

XML

<groupId>com.geeks</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-pom-example</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

groupId: Usually your organization’s domain in reverse.
artifactId: Project or module name.
version: Current version of the project.

3. Properties Section

Defines reusable variables to maintain consistency and simplify version updates.

XML

<properties>
    <java.version>1.8</java.version>
    <selenium.version>4.6.0</selenium.version>
    <testng.version>7.4.0</testng.version>
</properties>

Using ${property.name} lets you reference these values across the file.

4. Dependencies Section

Lists all external libraries your project depends on. Maven automatically downloads them from configured repositories.

XML

<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
        <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
        <version>${selenium.version}</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

Each dependency includes:

groupId: Library’s organization.
artifactId: Library name.
version: Library version.

5. Repositories Section

Defines remote repositories from where Maven retrieves dependencies.

XML

<repositories>
    <repository>
        <id>central</id>
        <url>https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2</url>
    </repository>
</repositories>

If no repository is specified, Maven defaults to Maven Central.

6. Build Section

Controls how the project is compiled, packaged, and deployed.

XML

<build>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>3.8.1</version>
            <configuration>
                <source>${java.version}</source>
                <target>${java.version}</target>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</build>

Plugins: Define build tools such as compiler, JAR packager, or reporting tools.
Configuration: Customizes how each plugin behaves.

7. Profiles Section

Allows defining environment-specific configurations such as development, testing, or production.

XML

<profiles>
    <profile>
        <id>dev</id>
        <properties>
            <environment>development</environment>
            <debug>true</debug>
        </properties>
    </profile>
</profiles>

Activate profiles using:

mvn clean install -Pdev

8. Plugin Management Section

Defines default versions and configurations of plugins to ensure consistency across modules.

XML

<pluginManagement>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>3.1.2</version>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</pluginManagement>

9. Reporting Section

Specifies plugins used to generate reports like Javadoc or test coverage.

XML

<reporting>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>3.9.1</version>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</reporting>

Understanding Maven POM file

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