Maven 1.0.2

Maven is a build automation tool used primarily for Java projects. It provides a framework for managing project dependencies and helps in the compilation, testing, packaging, and deployment of the project.

To install Maven, you need to download the binary distribution from the Apache Maven website and extract it to a desired location. You should also set up the necessary environment variables to run Maven from the command line.

A Maven repository is a directory or storage location where Maven stores project artifacts such as JAR files, WAR files, and other dependencies. It can be local or remote.

To create a new Maven project, you can use the 'mvn archetype:generate' command and select an appropriate archetype. Alternatively, you can also use an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides support for Maven project creation.

Maven defines a set of predefined build phases that form lifecycles. Lifecycles are composed of various phases, such as compile, test, package, install, and deploy. Each phase represents a specific step in the build process.

You can specify project dependencies by adding them to the 'dependencies' section of your project's 'pom.xml' file. Dependencies are declared with groupId, artifactId, and version information.

The 'pom.xml' file is the Project Object Model (POM) file in Maven. It contains information about the project, including its dependencies, build configuration, plugins, and other project-specific details.

Maven automatically runs tests during the 'test' phase of the build lifecycle. You can execute tests using the 'mvn test' command. Maven uses test frameworks like JUnit or TestNG to execute the tests.

The 'mvn clean' command is used to clean the target directory of the Maven project. It removes all built artifacts and temporary files generated during the build process. This command helps to start a fresh build.

Maven can generate project documentation using various plugins like 'maven-site-plugin' or 'maven-javadoc-plugin'. By running specific Maven commands or goals with these plugins configured, you can generate HTML-based documentation for your project.