Maven run class before test phase: exec-maven-plugin exec:java not executing class

Question

I am running jUnit4 tests, built with Maven, on a Jenkins box. My goal is to restore a test database before executing the tests.

It looks like exec-maven-plugin is the way to go, but I cannot get it running. Any pointers? Although there are lots of examples, the doc on the mojo site is pretty thin.

The class I need to run currently lives at:

MyProject.src.test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment.java

My pom.xml includes:

<pluginManagement>
    <plugins>
        <plugin>
            <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>2.3.2</version>
            <configuration>
                <source>1.6</source>
                <target>1.6</target>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>            
            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
            <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>1.3</version>
            <executions>
                <execution>
                    <id>build-test-environment</id>
                    <phase>generate-test-resources</phase>            
                    <goals>
                        <goal>java</goal>            
                    </goals>
                </execution>
            </executions>
            <configuration>
                <mainClass>src.test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment</mainClass>
            </configuration>
        </plugin>
    </plugins>
</pluginManagement>

Run this in Jenkins, nothing really happens. If I run it locally, I get

Things I have tried, without success:

1. Run the build in Jenkins: Nothing really happens. The project builds and starts running tests, but my class is not run.

2. Run the build locally: Same result as in Jenkins. No surprise there.

3. Run generate-test-resources locally: ClassNotFoundException. ie:

   mvn exec:java generate-test-resources
   java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: src.test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment

4. Compile the class into a jar, and add that to my pom.

Update:

After reading @ppuskar's comments, I tried moving my buildxxx class around a bit. After moving it to src.main.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment, I still get a similar message. Here is my build log, in case that helps:

[DEBUG] Invoking : test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment.main()
[DEBUG] Plugin Dependencies will be excluded.
[DEBUG] Project Dependencies will be included.
[DEBUG] Collected project artifacts [joda-time:joda-time:jar:2.3:compile, net.sf.jt400:jt400:jar:6.7:compile, junit:junit:jar:4.11:compile, org.hamcrest:hamcrest-core:jar:1.3:compile, com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core:jar:2.3.0:compile, com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:jar:2.3.0:compile, com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-annotations:jar:2.3.0:compile, org.hamcrest:hamcrest-all:jar:1.3:compile, org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api:jar:2.0-rc1:compile, org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:jar:2.0-rc1:compile]
[DEBUG] Collected project classpath [C:\workspace\VSP_UnitTest\target\classes]
[DEBUG] Adding to classpath : file:/C:/workspace/VSP_UnitTest/target/classes/
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: joda-time to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: jt400 to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: junit to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: hamcrest-core to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: jackson-core to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: jackson-databind to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: jackson-annotations to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: hamcrest-all to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: log4j-api to classpath
[DEBUG] Adding project dependency artifact: log4j-core to classpath
[DEBUG] joining on thread Thread[test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment.main(),5,test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment]
[WARNING] java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:366)
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:355)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:354)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:424)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:357)
at org.codehaus.mojo.exec.ExecJavaMojo$1.run(ExecJavaMojo.java:281)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:724)
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD FAILURE
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time: 2.602 s
[INFO] Finished at: 2014-05-15T14:38:50-05:00
[INFO] Final Memory: 12M/152M
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carman

if using jenkins, make sure that the POM and the class changes has been committed to repository, and check if jenkins is getting updated source code from source code repository. – Spate

Answer 1

try moving BuildTestEnvironment.java from src.test.java._tools to src.main.java._tools i.e. your class will be src.main.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment

i tried running the scenario you provided. it failed like you said, however i move the java file to main from test .... it RAN :)

CHEERS :)

Spate

But then you have test configuration in your main configuration – Mulry

I see what you're saying, @LouisaBuchanan. In my case, the whole project is test (ie, no deployable code) and we keep non-test helpers (data getters for test values, mainly) in 'main'. So moving the build script over there was fine. – Carman

Answer 2

I wanted to leave this as a comment to address Rebzie's comment, but I haven't the reputation.

But then you have test configuration in your main configuration

The Exec Maven plugin supports changing the classpath scope so that you can use test-scoped resources without moving them out of the test package, like so:

<configuration>
    <mainClass>src.test.java._tools.BuildTestEnvironment</mainClass>
    <classpathScope>test</classpathScope>
</configuration>

This provides a clean solution where your test setup code remains in your test resources.

Anhydride

Answer 3

I was trying something very similar, and I just leave my findings here if somebody stumbles upon that. I was planning to have a class in test that created some test resources and then run the actual tests.

The core problem is that the maven phase test-compile runs after generate-test-resources. Code in the test branch is not compiled yet when this is executed, therefore the exec-plugin didn't find the compiled class.

My temporary solution is to attach the exec-plugin to the phase process-test-classes.

Sabinasabine

Thank you! This was causing me so much frustration before I read this answer. – Nevil