POMxml

pom.xml is the Project Object Model file used by Apache Maven, a build automation and project management tool primarily for Java. It is an XML document located at the root of a Maven project and serves as the central description of the project’s coordinates, dependencies, plugins, and build settings that Maven uses to manage the project lifecycle.

At a minimum, a POM declares the coordinates that identify the artifact: modelVersion (usually 4.0.0), groupId, artifactId, and version. It may also specify packaging such as jar, war, pom, or others, along with optional metadata like name, description, and URL. A POM can inherit configuration from a parent POM or from the super POM and can define properties for version substitution.

Dependencies are listed under the dependencies element, providing the groupId, artifactId, version, and scope for each artifact the project needs at build time. Dependency management can be placed under dependencyManagement to centralize versions for transitive dependencies across modules.

The build section configures how Maven should build the project, including plugin definitions (plugins), pluginManagement for centralized plugin versions, and plugin executions. It can also specify resources, source directories, finalName, filtering, and other build-related settings.

Repositories and repositories for pluginRepositories describe where Maven should search for artifacts and plugins beyond the default central repository.

Many projects use a parent POM for inheritance and a modules element for multi-module builds, listing subprojects by relative path. The POM structure thus enables complex projects with shared configurations while preserving per-module customization.

Maven uses the information in the POM to drive a defined build lifecycle with phases such as validate, compile, test, package, verify, install, and deploy. Common commands include mvn package, mvn test, mvn install, and mvn deploy.