How to run maven

1 Maven Command (mvn)

The basic syntax for running Maven is:

mvn [options] [<plugin:goal>] [<phase>]

The execution order depends on how goals and build phases are specified on the command line.

2 Running Maven Phases

Example: Compile a project

mvn clean compile

mvn clean test

Suppose you want to experiment with a new Java feature. You create a Maven project with source files and unit/integration tests.

• to compile the project, run mvn clean compile.
• to compile and run tests, use mvn clean test.

Example: Package a project

mvn clean package

This command compiles the code, runs tests, and packages the application into a distributable format such as a JAR or WAR.

Example: Run a Spring Web application

For example, assume you created a Spring Boot web application named my-spring-webapp.

• to compile the project and produce and artifact, run mvn clean package from the project root.
• to run the application, execute: java -jar target/my-spring-webapp-1.0.0.jar from the project root.

The embedded Tomcat server starts on port 8080. Open your browser and go to http://localhost:8080.

Example: Install to the local repository

mvn clean install

This is one of the most common Maven commands. It builds the project and installs the generated artifact into your local repository, making it available for other local projects. Maven executes all default's lifecycle phases up to install.

Example: Deploy to a shared repository

mvn clean deploy

In a build environment, this command cleans, builds, and deploys artifacts to a remote (shared) repository. In multi-module projects, Maven processes each submodule in order and deploys their artifacts.

3 Running Maven Goals

A build phase can have zero or more goals bound to it. If no goals are bound, the phase does nothing. If goals are bound, all of them are executed when the phase runs.

Example: Generate a project using the Archetype plugin

mvn archetype:generate

Example: Run Checkstyle

mvn checkstyle:check

This command runs the check goal of the Maven Checkstyle plugin. It analyzes your source code to ensure it follows a defined coding standard (style rules). Checkstyle verifies aspects such as: code formatting (indentation, spacing, line length), naming conventions (classes, methods, variables) and code structure and organization.

Example: Execute a goal before packaging

mvn clean dependency:copy-dependencies package

In this command:

• clean and package are lifecycle phases
• dependency:copy-dependencies is a plugin goal

Execution order:

• First, the clean phase runs (including its lifecycle)
• Next, the dependency:copy-dependencies goal executes
• Finally, the package phase runs (including all preceding phases)

Maven Command Cheat Sheet

Command	Description	Typical Use Case
mvn clean	Deletes the target directory (previous build output).	Start a fresh build.
mvn clean compile	Cleans previous output and compiles the project.	Rebuild source code from scratch.
mvn clean test	Cleans, compiles, and runs tests.	Full verification of code and tests.
mvn clean package	Clean, compiles, tests, and packages the application.	Prepare application for execution or distribution.
mvn clean install	Full clean build and install into local repository.	Most common development build command.
mvn clean deploy	Clean build and deploy to remote repository.	Share builds with teams or CI/CD systems.
mvn validate	Validates project structure and configuration.	Early sanity check before building.
mvn verify	Runs checks to verify the package is valid.	Final validation before install/deploy.
mvn site	Generates project documentation.	Create project reports and documentation site.