Packaging an executable fat JAR with Apache Maven

maven_package_exec_fat_jar.txt

Three ways to create an executable and fat JAR with Maven :

maven-jar-plugin (it doesn't add dependencies inside the final JAR, they have to be in the classpath)

Don't forget it goes between the build and plugins tags.

<build>
   <plugins>
      <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
            <archive>
               <manifest>
                  <mainClass>{your.package.main.class}</mainClass>
               </manifest>
            </archive>
         </configuration>
      </plugin>
   </plugins>
</build>


maven-assembly-plugin (it adds all dependecies inside the final fat JAR)

<build>
   <plugins>
      <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
            <descriptorRefs>
               <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
            </descriptorRefs>
            <archive>
               <manifest>
                  <mainClass>{your.package.main.class}</mainClass>
               </manifest>
            </archive>
         </configuration>
         <executions>
            <execution>
               <phase>package</phase>
               <goals>
                  <goal>single</goal>
               </goals>
            </execution>
         </executions>
      </plugin>
   </plugins>
</build>


maven-shade-plugin (it adds all dependecies inside the final fat JAR and executes shading)

<plugin>
	<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
	<artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
	<configuration>
		<transformers>
			<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ManifestResourceTransformer">
				<mainClass>{your.package.main.class}</mainClass>
			</transformer>
		</transformers>
	</configuration>
	<executions>
		<execution>
			<phase>package</phase>
			<goals>
				<goal>shade</goal>
			</goals>
		</execution>
	</executions>
</plugin>