Application Assembler

Generates a structure like:

bin/
conf/
ext/
repo/<maven repository>

bin contains a set of wrapper scripts that will build a classpath from repo/ and start the application.

Operation Modes

Release Mode

Builds the application by copying over all dependent artifacts and the artifact itself into repo/ and creates scripts in bin/ that will execute the application.

SNAPSHOT Mode

Includes a few Maven artifacts to enable downloading of updated artifacts. Adds a special script under bin/ to update the content of the built-in repository (repo/)

Test Mode

Generates bin scripts that builds the classpath from ~/.m2/repository instead of from repo/. This makes faster to test the application without having to reassemble the entire application.

Example Configuration

Development Proposals

Launchers

A launcher can be said to include any component that allows a java cass to interact with the native system in a way that the native system expects. On windows it might be an executable file or a shell script on a *nix platform that can launch a the java vm.

Maximum flexibility can be achieved if the launcher element can specify the platform. this also allows a single assembly to include launchers for multiple platforms:

however it might be useful to define a wrapping element that specifies the platform because there will likely be multiple configuration components that use the same platform. For example:

The same effect can be had in the second example by creating multiple "applications" and pointing them at the same target.

Application Layout

By using a layout configuration element, the layout of the final product can be controlled by the developer while still allowing the plugin to properly place the components in the correct place:

The names of the default layout don't really matter although the meaning of the different configuration elements in a layout matter (and so does keeping things so they look as expected).