native-maven-plugin-example

Simple example showing one possibility to use the Native Maven Plugin to build and deploy C++ static libraries (including header files) to a Maven repository and build and deploy C++ executables (having dependencies to deployed static libraries).

The project provides three Maven parent pom's.

• A parent pom for the generic configuration of the Native Maven Plugin.
• A parent pom with specific configurations for building static libraries.
• A parent pom with specific configurations for building executables.

Additionally, two Maven archetypes are provided:

• com.acme.archetype.cpp:staticLibrary:0.0.1-SNAPSHOT to easily create a project for a static library
• com.acme.archetype.cpp:executable:0.0.1-SNAPSHOT to easily create a project for an executable

Usage

Install the parent pom's and the archetypes

1. Clone this repository.
2. Install the parent pom for the generic Native Maven Plugin configuration:

   cd com.acme.mavenmaster.cpp
   mvn install
   

3. Install the parent pom with specific configurations for building static libraries:

   cd ../com.acme.mavenmaster.cpp.static
   mvn install
   

4. Install the parent pom with specific configurations for building executables:

   cd ../com.acme.mavenmaster.cpp.executable
   mvn install
   

5. Install the archetype for static libraries

   cd ../com.acme.archetype.cpp.staticLibrary
   mvn install
   

6. Install the archetype for executables

   cd ../com.acme.archetype.cpp.executables
   mvn install
   

Create an exectuable project using the executable archetype

The executable archetype is a basic skeleton for a C++ project to build an executable (tested on Linux and OSX) using the created parent pom's. The archetype provides a main function which prints out "Hello, world!".

1. Create a new Maven project using the exectuable archetype

   mvn archetype:generate -DarchetypeGroupId=com.acme.archetype.cpp -DarchetypeArtifactId=executable -DarchetypeVersion=0.0.1-SNAPSHOT -DgroupId=com.acme.app -DartifactId=HelloWord -Dversion=0.0.1-SNAPSHOT
   

2. Compile and execute the project:

   cd HelloWord
   mvn compile
   

   You should find the executable in the target folder of your project. Try it out:

   ./target/HelloWord.uexe 
   Hello, world!
   

Congratulations! You have just executed your first C++ program which was build using the Native Maven Plugin. ;)

Create a static library project using the static library archetype

The static library archetype is a basic skeleton for a C++ project to build a static library using the created parent pom's. The archetype provides a class HelloWorld.

1. Create a new Maven project using the static library archetype

   mvn archetype:generate -DarchetypeGroupId=com.acme.archetype.cpp -DarchetypeArtifactId=staticLibrary -DarchetypeVersion=0.0.1-SNAPSHOT -DgroupId=com.acme.app -DartifactId=libGreetingsEarhtlings -Dversion=0.0.1-SNAPSHOT
   

2. Install the new static library to your local Maven repository:

   cd libGreetingsEarhtlings
   mvn install
   

   You should find the static library (.a file) and a .inczip file (which contains the header provided by the static library) in you local Maven repository.

   > ls -la ~/.m2/com/acme/app/libGreetingsEarthlings/0.0.1-SNAPSHOT/
   total 64
   drwxr-xr-x  7 stephan  staff    224  3 Okt 05:56 .
   <drwxr-xr-x  4 stephan  staff    128  3 Okt 05:56 ..
   -rw-r--r--  1 stephan  staff    274  3 Okt 05:56 _remote.repositories
   -rw-r--r--  1 stephan  staff  16040  3 Okt 05:56 libGreetingsEarthlings-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.a
   -rw-r--r--  1 stephan  staff    266  3 Okt 05:56 libGreetingsEarthlings-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.inczip
   -rw-r--r--  1 stephan  staff    815  3 Okt 05:52 libGreetingsEarthlings-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.pom
   -rw-r--r--  1 stephan  staff    885  3 Okt 05:56 maven-metadata-local.xml
   

Congratulations! You have just deployed your first static library which was build using the Native Maven Plugin. ;) Now let's use that static library in our HelloWorld program.

Modify the HelloWorld project to use the deployed static library

1. Edit HelloWorld/pom.xml and add the following dependencies block (somewhere within the < project > tag):

   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.acme.app</groupId>
       <artifactId>libGreetingsEarthlings</artifactId>
       <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
       <type>inczip</type>
       <scope>compile</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.acme.app</groupId>
       <artifactId>libGreetingsEarthlings</artifactId>
       <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
       <type>a</type>
       <scope>compile</scope>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
   

   Note: You need to add a dependency to both the .inczip file which contains the headers provided by the static library (needed for compilation) and to the .a file (needed for linking). Maybe there is some other way to fetch both dependencies by defining just one dependency block, but I don't know it.
2. Modify the main.cpp file of the HelloWorld project:

   #include <iostream>
   #include "HelloWorld.hpp"
   
   int main() {
     std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
   
     HelloWorld helloWorld;
     helloWorld.greet();
   }
   

3. Compile and execute the project:

   cd HelloWord
   mvn compile
   ./target/HelloWord.uexe 
   Hello, world!
   Greetings, earthlings!
   

Congratulations! You have just used a deployed static library. ;)