How to create a manifest file with Maven

This tutorial'll show you and maven-jar-plugin to create a manifest file, and package/add it into the final Jar file. The manifest file is normally used to define following Tasks:define the entry point of the ' application, make the Jar exe Cutable. Add Project Dependency Classpath.

When you run the command MVN package to package project into a Jar, the following META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file would be genera Ted and added into the final Jar file automatically. Meta-inf/manifest.mf

manifest-version:1.0
built-by: ${user.name}
build-jdk: ${java.version}
created-by:apache Maven
Archiver-version:plexus archiver

Copy 1. Make the Jar executable

Define Maven-jar-plugin in Pom.xml, and configure the manifest file via configuration tag. Pom.xml

    <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId> maven-jar-plugin</artifactid>
        <version>2.4</version>
        <configuration>
          < archive>
            <manifest>
                <mainClass>com.mkyong.core.App</mainClass>
            </manifest >
          </archive>
        </configuration>
    </plugin>

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Following manifest file would be generated. If you run this Jar, it'll execute the COM.MKYONG.CORE.APP. Meta-inf/manifest.mf

anifest-version:1.0
built-by:mkyong
build-jdk:1.6.0_35
created-by:apache Maven
main-class: COM.MKYONG.CORE.APP
Archiver-version:plexus archiver

Copy 2. Add Project dependency classpath.

Most Java projects need dependency, and it can define in manifest file easily. Normally, you'll use Maven-dependency-plugin to copy project dependencies to somewhere else. Pom.xml

  <plugin> <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId> <artifactid>maven-jar-plugi
            n</artifactid> <version>2.4</version> <configuration> <archive> <manifest> <addClasspath>true</addClasspath> <mainClass>
            Com.mkyong.core.app</mainclass> <classpathPrefix>dependency-jars/</classpathPrefix>
        </manifest> </archive> </configuration> </plugin> <plugin> <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId> &LT;ARTIFACTID&GT;MAVEN-DEPENDENCY-PLUGIN&LT;/ARTIFAC
                tid> <version>2.5.1</version> <executions> <execution>
                    <id>copy-dependencies</id> <phase>package</phase> <goals> <Goal>copy-dependencies</goal> </goals> <configuration> <outputDirectory> ${project.build.directory}/dependency-jars/&L
  t;/outputdirectory> </configuration> </execution> </executions> </plugin>

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Following manifest file would be generated. The project dependencies is copied to {project}/target/dependency-jars/. Meta-inf/manifest.mf

manifest-version:1.0
built-by:mkyong
build-jdk:1.6.0_35
class-path:dependency-jars/ Log4j-1.2.17.jar
created-by:apache Maven
main-class:com.mkyong.core.app
Archiver-version:plexus Archiver

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