Build Tools

Build tools automate compiling, testing, packaging, and deploying Java applications. Maven and Gradle are the two dominant choices in the Java ecosystem. Spring Boot defaults to Maven's plugin model; Gradle is increasingly preferred for large multi-module projects due to its incremental build performance and Kotlin-DSL.

What You'll Find Here

Notes are being added. Planned topics:

Topic	Description
Maven Basics	POM structure, lifecycle phases (compile, test, package, install, deploy).
Maven Dependency Management	Coordinates (groupId:artifactId:version), scopes, BOMs (dependencyManagement).
Maven Plugins	spring-boot-maven-plugin, Surefire (tests), Failsafe (integration tests).
Gradle Basics	build.gradle.kts, tasks, dependency configurations, Gradle wrapper.
Maven vs. Gradle	Build speed, configuration style, multi-module project support.
Spring Boot with Maven/Gradle	Executable JAR packaging; building Docker images with Buildpacks.

Learning Path

1. Maven Basics — POM structure and the clean install lifecycle are must-know fundamentals.
2. Maven Dependency Management — understand transitive dependencies and how BOMs (spring-boot-dependencies) pin versions.
3. Gradle Basics — Kotlin DSL is the current default for new Gradle projects; understand task dependency graphs.
4. Spring Boot Plugins — spring-boot:build-image and the repackage goal are the Spring-specific must-knows.

Related Domains

• Spring Boot — Spring Boot starters and parent POM (spring-boot-starter-parent) are Maven-centric.
• Docker — mvn spring-boot:build-image produces Docker images without a Dockerfile.
• DevOps — CI/CD runs mvn or gradle commands in pipelines.