Key Takeaways

• PomProperties is a lightweight CLI tool that parses Maven pom.xml files and outputs properties in JSON, XML, or YAML.
• It bridges the gap between Maven build metadata and downstream processes such as CI/CD, container image tagging, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Integration is straightforward: add a single script to your pipeline, reference the generated file, and you’re done.
• Security best practices: keep the tool version pinned, validate the output, and restrict access to the properties file.
• Common pitfalls include missing dependencyManagement scopes and handling of profiles; the playbook covers these in detail.

What is POMProperties?

POMProperties is a command‑line utility that reads a Maven Project Object Model (POM) file and emits a flat list of properties, dependencies, plugins, and other metadata. Unlike the built‑in mvn help:evaluate goal, POMProperties provides a structured, language‑agnostic output format that can be consumed by any tooling.

Typical use cases:

• Generate a version.json file for Docker image tagging.
• Populate Helm chart values from Maven coordinates.
• Automate release notes generation.
• Validate property consistency across multiple modules.

Installation & Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Java 8+ (JRE or JDK)
• Unix-like shell (bash, zsh) or Windows PowerShell
• Access to your Maven project repository

Installation Steps

1. Download the latest pomproperties.jar from GitHub Releases.
2. Place the JAR in a dedicated tools/ directory in your repo.
3. Create an executable wrapper script:

# pomproperties.sh
#!/usr/bin/env bash
java -jar tools/pomproperties.jar "$@"

chmod +x pomproperties.sh

./pomproperties.sh --file pom.xml --output-format json --output-file pom.properties.json

Advanced Configuration Options

The tool supports a wide range of flags to tailor the output. Use --help to see the full list.

CI/CD Integration Playbook

GitHub Actions

# .github/workflows/pomproperties.yml
name: Extract POM Properties
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  extract:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up JDK 17
        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
        with:
          distribution: temurin
          java-version: 17
      - name: Install POMProperties
        run: |
          curl -L https://github.com/yourorg/pomproperties/releases/download/v1.2.3/pomproperties.jar -o tools/pomproperties.jar
          chmod +x tools/pomproperties.jar
      - name: Extract properties
        run: |
          java -jar tools/pomproperties.jar --file pom.xml --output-format json --output-file pom.properties.json
      - name: Upload artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: pom-properties
          path: pom.properties.json

GitLab CI

# .gitlab-ci.yml
extract_pom:
  image: openjdk:17-jdk-slim
  script:
    - wget -q https://github.com/yourorg/pomproperties/releases/download/v1.2.3/pomproperties.jar
    - java -jar pomproperties.jar --file pom.xml --output-format yaml --output-file pom.properties.yaml
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - pom.properties.yaml

Azure DevOps Pipeline

# azure-pipelines.yml
steps:
- task: UseJava@1
  inputs:
    versionSpec: '17'
- script: |
    wget -q https://github.com/yourorg/pomproperties/releases/download/v1.2.3/pomproperties.jar
    java -jar pomproperties.jar --file pom.xml --output-format json --output-file $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/pom.properties.json
  displayName: 'Extract POM Properties'
- publish: $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/pom.properties.json
  artifact: pom-properties

Best Practices Checklist

• Pin the tool version in your CI scripts to avoid breaking changes.
• Validate output against a JSON Schema or XML XSD before downstream consumption.
• Restrict access to the generated properties file; treat it as a secret if it contains sensitive data.
• Handle Maven profiles explicitly; include only the ones relevant to your environment.
• Cache dependencies to speed up repeated extraction runs.
• Log the extraction step in CI logs for auditability.
• Document the schema of the output in your repo README.
• Use --exclude-dependencies to keep the output lean.

PomProperties vs. Other Property Extraction Methods