[maven] Where is the list of predefined Maven properties

I know there is a list of all predefined Maven properties (you know like project.build.sourceEncoding, or project.build.sourceDirectory). I once saw the list but I just can't find it again.

This link shows how to list all the active properties: http://skillshared.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-list-down-all-maven-available.html

In summary, add the following plugin definition to your POM, then run mvn install:

<plugin>
    <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>1.7</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <phase>install</phase>
            <configuration>
                <target>
                    <echoproperties />
                </target>
            </configuration>
            <goals>
                <goal>run</goal>
            </goals>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

Take a look at section 9.2.: Maven Properties of the free online book Maven: The Complete Reference.

I think the best place to look is the Super POM.

As an example, at the time of writing, the linked reference shows some of the properties between lines 32 - 48.

The interpretation of this is to follow the XPath as a . delimited property.

So, for example:

${project.build.testOutputDirectory} == ${project.build.directory}/test-classes

And:

${project.build.directory} == ${project.basedir}/target

Thus combining them, we find:

${project.build.testOutputDirectory} == ${project.basedir}/target/test-classes

(To reference the resources directory(s), see this stackoverflow question)

<project>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    .
    .
    .
    <build>
        <directory>${project.basedir}/target</directory>
        <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/classes</outputDirectory>
        <finalName>${project.artifactId}-${project.version}</finalName>
        <testOutputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/test-classes</testOutputDirectory>
        <sourceDirectory>${project.basedir}/src/main/java</sourceDirectory>
        <scriptSourceDirectory>src/main/scripts</scriptSourceDirectory>
        <testSourceDirectory>${project.basedir}/src/test/java</testSourceDirectory>
        <resources>
            <resource>
                <directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
            </resource>
        </resources>
        <testResources>
            <testResource>
                <directory>${project.basedir}/src/test/resources</directory>
            </testResource>
        </testResources>
        .
        .
        .
    </build>
    .
    .
    .
</project>

I got tired of seeing this page with its by-now stale references to defunct Codehaus pages so I asked on the Maven Users mailing list and got some more up-to-date answers.

I would say that the best (and most authoritative) answer contained in my link above is the one contributed by Hervé BOUTEMY:

here is the core reference: http://maven.apache.org/ref/3-LATEST/maven-model-builder/

it does not explain everyting that can be found in POM or in settings, since there are so much info available but it points to POM and settings descriptors and explains everything that is not POM or settings

Looking at the "effective POM" will probably help too. For instance, if you wanted to know what the path is for ${project.build.sourceDirectory}

you would find the related XML in the effective POM, such as: <project> <build> <sourceDirectory>/my/path</sourceDirectory>

Also helpful - you can do a real time evaluation of properties via the command line execution of mvn help:evaluate while in the same dir as the POM.