The Build-Tool : Maven

A Maven-based Java project typically follows a specific directory structure to help manage the project's source code, dependencies, and build lifecycle. Maven is a popular build automation and project management tool used in Java projects, but it can also be used for projects in other languages. Here's the common structure of a Maven-based project.

project-root/
│
├── src/
│   ├── main/
│   │   ├── java/          # Java source code
│   │   ├── resources/     # Resources like configuration files
│   │   └── webapp/        # Web application content (for web projects)
│   │
│   └── test/
│       ├── java/          # Test source code
│       ├── resources/     # Test resources
│       └── webapp/        # Test web application content (for web projects)
│
├── target/                # Compiled classes and built artifacts
│
├── pom.xml                # Project Object Model (POM) configuration
│
└── other project files    # README, LICENSE, etc.

Here's a breakdown of the key directories and files in a Maven-based project:

1. src/main/: This directory contains the main source code and resources for your project.

   • java/: Java source code files.

   • resources/: Non-Java resources like property files, XML configurations, etc.

   • webapp/: This directory is present in web application projects and contains web-related resources like HTML, JSP, CSS, and more.

2. src/test/: This directory contains test-related code and resources for your project.

   • java/: Test source code files.

   • resources/: Test-specific resources.

   • webapp/: Test web-related resources (if applicable).

3. target/: This directory is created by Maven and contains compiled classes, built JARs, WARs, and other artifacts generated during the build process.

4. pom.xml: The Project Object Model (POM) file is the heart of a Maven project. It describes the project's configuration, dependencies, build plugins, and more.

5. Other project files: These can include files like README, LICENSE, and other project-specific documentation.

6. Remember that Maven follows a convention-over-configuration approach, which means it enforces certain standard practices to make the build process and project management more streamlined. This structure helps Maven identify where to find source code, resources, tests, and how to package them into the final artifacts.