java - I want to load all JARs from my libs project folder with Maven

Question

I have a Java project using Maven. In my project I have a folder called libs that contains all the JARs that I can't load from internet/external repository.

My issue is how to specify to Maven to include those JARs during packaging, building etc.?

New to Maven, sorry if it is a stupid question.

EDIT : I have an automatic tool that will look up at my pom.xml on my Git to build & deploy my project on different environments. So adding it in local Maven repo, as suggested here will not help since it will work only on my PC. If I add a libs folder with my JARs it will work wherever I am.

Ask me in comments if it's not clear or if I'm mistaken.

Answer 1

Contrary to your EDIT adding to the local Maven repo will help and it can be automated as follows:

• See jtahlborn's answer to Multiple install:install-file in a single pom.xml. (The current version of the maven-install-plugin is 2.5.2. I'd use that rather than the default.)

• The <configuration>s should look like:

    <configuration>
      <file>${project.basedir}/path/to/your/libs/lib-X.jar</file>
      <repositoryLayout>default</repositoryLayout>
  
      <!-- match the dependency declaration for this artifact -->
      <groupId>logan.wlv</groupId>
      <artifactId>lib-X</artifactId>
      <version>x.y.z</version> 
      <packaging>jar</packaging>
      <!-- -------------------------------------------------- -->
    </configuration>
  

• Put the install-plugin declaration into a build profile, e.g. lib.

• Run mvn initialize -P lib once on every new PC (and once after the contents of libs, and hence the install-plugin declaration, changed) before invoking any phase that resolves dependencies first, e.g. compile.

or

• Automate this even further with:

    <profile>
      <id>lib</id>
      <activation>
        <file>
          <missing>${settings.localRepository}/logan/wlv/lib-X/x.y.z/lib-X-x.y.z.jar</missing>
        </file>
      </activation>
      ...
    <profile>
  

  Such being able to run just mvn initialize without the explicit profile activation the very first time.