Layout #

The standard directory layout #

By default, a Maven project is expected to comply with the so-called “standard directory layout”.

Warning. We restrict here the layout to files and folders that you are likely to use in your project. A comprehensive description can be found here.

├── pom.xml
├── README.md
├── src
│   ├── main
│   │   ├── java
│   │   │   └── ...
│   │   └── resources
│   │       └── ...
│   └── test
│       ├── java
│       │   └── ...
│       └── resources
│           └── ...
...

Here is the intended purpose of these files and directories (all paths are from the root of the project):

Note. By default, the content of the src/main/resources directory is automatically included in a jar generated with Maven.

Hint. Your IDE can generate this folder structure (together with a minimal pom.xml file).

For instance, with IntelliJ, click on File/New/Project, and then select “Maven” as the “Build system”:

Hint. In some cases, a folder structure and pom.xml file that are tailored to a certain framework (like JavaFX or JSP) can be generated. This is called a maven archetype.

The target directory #

When building a Maven project, some files and directories are generated.

By default, the directory called target (at the root of the project) contains the output of the build, in particular:

• the bytecode (i.e. .class files),
• the generated .jar file(s), if any.

Hint. Since it is automatically generated, the target directory can be safely deleted.

Maven and Git #

The pom.xml file should usually be committed.

However, the following should not be committed (i.e. should be ignored via .gitignore):

• the target directory,
• any other content generated during the build (e.g. generated source code, etc.).