Maven Model Builder

The effective model builder, with profile activation, inheritance, interpolation, ...

The main component is ModelBuilder (javadoc, source), with its DefaultModelBuilder implementation (javadoc, source) that manages the steps sequence.

The sequence is divided into 2 phases, with optional plugin processing:

  • phase 1
    • raw model validation: ModelValidator (javadoc), with its DefaultModelValidator implementation (source)
    • profile activation: see available activators. Notice that model interpolation hasn't happened yet, then interpolation for file-based activation is limited to ${basedir} (since Maven 3), System properties and request properties
    • model normalization: ModelNormalizer (javadoc), with its DefaultModelNormalizer implementation (source)
    • profile injection
    • parent resolution until super-pom
    • inheritance assembly: InheritanceAssembler (javadoc), with its DefaultInheritanceAssembler implementation (source)
    • model interpolation (see below)
    • url normalization: UrlNormalizer (javadoc), with its DefaultUrlNormalizer implementation (source)
  • phase 2
    • model path translation: ModelPathTranslator (javadoc), with its DefaultModelPathTranslator implementation (source)
    • plugin management injection
    • (optional) lifecycle bindings injection
    • dependency management import (for dependencies of type pom in the <dependencyManagement> section)
    • dependency management injection
    • (optional) reports configuration
    • (optional) reports conversion to decoupled site plugin
    • (optional) plugins configuration
    • effective model validation: ModelValidator (javadoc), with its DefaultModelValidator implementation (source)

Model Interpolation

Model Interpolation consists in replacing ${...} with calculated value. It is done in StringSearchModelInterpolator (javadoc, source).

Notice that model interpolation happens after profile activation, then profile activation doesn't benefit from every values: interpolation for file-based activation is limited to ${basedir} (which was introduced in Maven 3 and is not deprecated in this context), System properties and request properties.

Values are evaluated in sequence from different syntaxes:

value evaluation result common examples
project.* 
pom.* (deprecated) 
* (deprecated)		 POM content (see POM reference) ${project.version} 
${project.build.finalName} 
${project.artifactId} 
${project.build.directory}
project.basedir 
pom.basedir (deprecated) 
basedir (deprecated)		 the directory containing the pom.xml file ${project.basedir}
project.baseUri 
pom.baseUri (deprecated)		 the directory containing the pom.xml file as URI ${project.baseUri}
build.timestamp 
maven.build.timestamp		 the UTC timestamp of build start, in yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss'Z' default format, which can be overridden with maven.build.timestamp.format POM property ${maven.build.timestamp}
* user properties, set from CLI with -Dproperty=value ${skipTests}
* model properties, such as project properties set in the pom ${any.key}
maven.home The path to the current Maven home. ${maven.home}
maven.version The version number of the current Maven execution (since 3.0.4). For example, "3.0.5". ${maven.version}
maven.build.version The full build version of the current Maven execution (since 3.0.4). For example, "Apache Maven 3.2.2 (r01de14724cdef164cd33c7c8c2fe155faf9602da; 2013-02-19T14:51:28+01:00)". ${maven.build.version}
* Java system properties (see JDK reference) ${user.home} 
${java.home}
env.* 
*		 environment variables ${env.PATH}
settings.* Local user settings (see settings reference) ${settings.localRepository}

Notice

  • after model interpolation, ${...} content can remain in the model that will be evaluated later when setting plugin parameters. This happens in particular with settings.* values for Settings Model,
  • encoding configuration have been defined as POM properties looking like POM content but not added to POM model to maintain compatibility with previous Maven versions: