Maven exec:java goal on a multi-module project

I'm trying to run exec-maven-plugin's exec:java goal on a simple two-module project where one module depends on the other. So far I can't find a configuration that works. Here's a boiled-down test case:

exec-multi-module-test/
- pom.xml
- module1/
  - pom.xml
  - src/
    - main/
      - java/
        
        HelloPrinter.java
- module2/
  - pom.xml
  - src/
    - main/
      - java/
        
        MyMain.java

Here's the parent pom:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<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/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>com.mkscrg.sandbox</groupId>
    <artifactId>exec-multi-module-test</artifactId>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>

    <modules>
        <module>module1</module>
        <module>module2</module>
    </modules>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>1.2.1</version>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

module1's pom:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<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/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <parent>
        <artifactId>exec-multi-module-test</artifactId>
        <groupId>com.mkscrg.sandbox</groupId>
        <version>1.0</version>
    </parent>

    <artifactId>module1</artifactId>
</project>

module2's pom: http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"> 4.0.0

    <parent>
        <artifactId>exec-multi-module-test</artifactId>
        <groupId>com.mkscrg.sandbox</groupId>
        <version>1.0</version>
    </parent>

    <artifactId>module2</artifactId>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.mkscrg.sandbox</groupId>
            <artifactId>module1</artifactId>
            <version>${project.version}</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

This project compiles successfully from the top, but running mvn exec:java -Dexec.mainClass=myMain fails:

[INFO] Scanning for projects...
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Reactor Build Order:
[INFO] 
[INFO] exec-multi-module-test
[INFO] module1
[INFO] module2
[INFO]                                                                         
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Building exec-multi-module-test 1.0
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] 
[INFO] >>> exec-maven-plugin:1.2.1:java (default-cli) @ exec-multi-module-test >>>
[INFO] 
[INFO] <<< exec-maven-plugin:1.2.1:java (default-cli) @ exec-multi-module-test <<<
[INFO] 
[INFO] --- exec-maven-plugin:1.2.1:java (default-cli) @ exec-multi-module-test ---
[WARNING] 
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: MyMain
        at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
        at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:306)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:247)
        at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.ExecJavaMojo$1.run(ExecJavaMojo.java:285)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Reactor Summary:
[INFO] 
[INFO] exec-multi-module-test ............................ FAILURE [0.363s]
[INFO] module1 ........................................... SKIPPED
[INFO] module2 ........................................... SKIPPED
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD FAILURE
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time: 0.566s
[INFO] Finished at: Mon Jun 18 14:11:54 PDT 2012
[INFO] Final Memory: 3M/81M
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ERROR] Failed to execute goal org.codehaus.mojo:exec-maven-plugin:1.2.1:java (default-cli) on project exec-multi-module-test: An exception occured while executing the Java class. MyMain -> [Help 1]
[ERROR] 
[ERROR] To see the full stack trace of the errors, re-run Maven with the -e switch.
[ERROR] Re-run Maven using the -X switch to enable full debug logging.
[ERROR] 
[ERROR] For more information about the errors and possible solutions, please read the following articles:
[ERROR] [Help 1] http://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/MAVEN/MojoExecutionException

What's the right way to configure this project to allow exec:java to see MyMain?

EDIT: Here's a gist if you'd like to try this yourself: https://gist.github.com/2950830

EDIT: Clarification: I know it's possible to mvn install and then either run exec:java from module2's directory or use the -pl flag from the top. However, I'd like to avoid running mvn install. It shouldn't be necessary to modify my local repository in order to run this goal in a multi-module project. Just as mvn compile "just works" with a multi-module project, so should other goals/phases.

回答1:

Goals in a multi-module project, when run from the parent, will run against all modules. I don't think that's what you want. You can try:

mvn exec:java -pl module2 -Dexec.mainClass=MyMain

That might work? More info:

Running a specific Maven plugin goal from the command line in a sub-module of a multi-module reactor project

However, I think it's more intuitive to change directory to the sub-module containing the executable before running it.

回答2:

You should bind the exec-maven-plugin to a maven lifecycle goal, say verify.
Since you want the plugin to be executed only for module2, define the plugin configurations in the parent pom within pluginManagement. Use the same only in module 2.
Then run the following:

mvn verify -Dexec.mainClass=MyMain.

parent pom

<build>
    <pluginManagement>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>1.2.1</version>
                <executions>
                 <execution>
                     <phase>verify</phase>
                     <goals>
                         <goal>java</goal>
                     </goals>
                 </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </pluginManagement>
</build>

module 2

<build>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
            <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</build>

回答3:

See this answer for a single-command alternative without mvn install:

https://stackoverflow.com/a/26448447/1235281

By using skip in the parent pom.xml, you can tell Maven to only run exec:java on a specific submodule.

GitHub: https://github.com/Oduig/mavenfiddle