how to create a zip file using maven which has multiple projects

Question

I have 3 modules which are linked to a parent project. I need to create a zip file including all these projects. I know it can be done using maven assembly plugin. But in which pom.xml should I use it. Is there a way I can copy the resources from 3 projects in to 1 common folder. Is there any example available for the same. This is a multi module build

Answer 1

For such purposes the best ways is to create a separate module in your multi-module build which result into the following strcuture:

 root (pom.xml)
   +--- mod1 (pom.xml)
   +--- mod2 (pom.xml)
   +--- mod3 (pom.xml)
   +--- mod-package (pom.xml)

The pom.xml of mod-package looks like this:

<project
  xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">

  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <parent>
    <groupId>com.soebes.packaging.test</groupId>
    <artifactId>root</artifactId>
    <version>0.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
  </parent>

  <artifactId>mod-package</artifactId>
  <packaging>pom</packaging>

  <name>Packaging :: Mod Package</name>

 <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.3</version>
        <configuration>
          <descriptors>
            <descriptor>pack.xml</descriptor>
          </descriptors>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>package-the-assembly</id>
            <phase>package</phase>
            <goals>
              <goal>single</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
</project>

And don't forget the pack.xml file which is located in mod-package/pack.xml:

<assembly xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/assembly/1.1.2"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/assembly/1.1.2 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/assembly-1.1.2.xsd">
  <id>pack</id>
  <formats>
    <format>zip</format>
  </formats>
  <includeBaseDirectory>false</includeBaseDirectory>
  <moduleSets>
    <moduleSet>
      <!-- Enable access to all projects in the current multimodule build! -->
      <useAllReactorProjects>true</useAllReactorProjects>
      <binaries>
        <outputDirectory>modules/${artifactId}</outputDirectory>
        <unpack>false</unpack>
      </binaries>
    </moduleSet>
  </moduleSets>
</assembly>