Where is the list of predefined Maven properties

Maven Problem Overview

I know there is a list of all predefined Maven properties (you know like project.build.sourceEncoding, or project.build.sourceDirectory). I once saw the list but I just can't find it again.

Maven Solutions

Solution 1 - Maven

Do you mean this one?

https://web.archive.org/web/20150520200505/https://docs.codehaus.org/display/MAVENUSER/MavenPropertiesGuide

I also moved its content to a GitHub repo:

https://github.com/cko/predefined_maven_properties/blob/master/README.md

Solution 2 - Maven

Take a look at [section 9.2.: Maven Properties][1] of the free online book [Maven: The Complete Reference][2].

[1]: http://books.sonatype.com/mvnref-book/reference/resource-filtering-sect-properties.html "section 9.2.: Maven Properties" [2]: http://books.sonatype.com/mvnref-book/reference/index.html "Maven: The Complete Reference"

Solution 3 - Maven

Looking at the "effective POM" will probably help too. For instance, if you wanted to know what the path is for ${project.build.sourceDirectory}

you would find the related XML in the effective POM, such as: <project> <build> <sourceDirectory>/my/path</sourceDirectory>

Also helpful - you can do a real time evaluation of properties via the command line execution of mvn help:evaluate while in the same dir as the POM.

Solution 4 - Maven

I think the best place to look is the Super POM.

As an example, at the time of writing, the linked reference shows some of the properties between lines 32 - 48.

The interpretation of this is to follow the XPath as a . delimited property.

So, for example:

${project.build.testOutputDirectory} == ${project.build.directory}/test-classes

And:

${project.build.directory} == ${project.basedir}/target

Thus combining them, we find:

${project.build.testOutputDirectory} == ${project.basedir}/target/test-classes

(To reference the resources directory(s), see this stackoverflow question)

<project>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    .
    .
    .
    <build>
        <directory>${project.basedir}/target</directory>
        <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/classes</outputDirectory>
        <finalName>${project.artifactId}-${project.version}</finalName>
        <testOutputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/test-classes</testOutputDirectory>
        <sourceDirectory>${project.basedir}/src/main/java</sourceDirectory>
        <scriptSourceDirectory>src/main/scripts</scriptSourceDirectory>
        <testSourceDirectory>${project.basedir}/src/test/java</testSourceDirectory>
        <resources>
            <resource>
                <directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
            </resource>
        </resources>
        <testResources>
            <testResource>
                <directory>${project.basedir}/src/test/resources</directory>
            </testResource>
        </testResources>
        .
        .
        .
    </build>
    .
    .
    .
</project>

Solution 5 - Maven

I got tired of seeing this page with its by-now stale references to defunct Codehaus pages so I asked on the Maven Users mailing list and got some more up-to-date answers.

I would say that the best (and most authoritative) answer contained in my link above is the one contributed by Hervé BOUTEMY:

> here is the core reference: > http://maven.apache.org/ref/3-LATEST/maven-model-builder/ > > it does not explain everyting that can be found in POM or in settings, > since there are so much info available but it points to POM and > settings descriptors and explains everything that is not POM or > settings

Solution 6 - Maven

This link shows how to list all the active properties: http://skillshared.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-list-down-all-maven-available.html

In summary, add the following plugin definition to your POM, then run mvn install:

<plugin>
    <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>1.7</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <phase>install</phase>
            <configuration>
                <target>
                    <echoproperties />
                </target>
            </configuration>
            <goals>
                <goal>run</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	Martin	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - Maven	free_easy	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - Maven	mamuso	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - Maven	Michael Ford	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - Maven	Stewart	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - Maven	Steve Cohen	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - Maven	Steve Pitchers	View Answer on Stackoverflow