Maven Repository: Purpose and Types
In Maven, the repository specifies the location of the dependencies needed for a project. When Maven builds a project, it downloads the required dependencies from these repositories and places them in the local repository (the .m2 folder). This way, when you build the project, Maven can automatically retrieve the necessary dependencies from the local repository without having to download them from remote repositories every time.
Maven offers three types of repositories.
- Local Repository: Each developer has a local repository on their computer to store libraries downloaded from the remote repository. By default, the local repository is located in the “.m2/repository” folder in the user’s directory.
- Central Repository: Maven’s default remote repository that houses a vast array of open-source Java libraries and frameworks. When you specify a dependency in your project’s pom.xml file, Maven will search and download that dependency from the Central Repository.
- Custom Repository: If the dependencies you need are not available in the central repository, or if you wish to use a different remote repository, you can add the configuration for a custom repository in the pom.xml file. This custom repository can be a remote repository or a local/shared folder.
By configuring repositories, Maven can more conveniently manage a project’s dependencies, while also ensuring that the project’s build process is repeatable and reliable.