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Apache Maven

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Apache Maven vs SBT: What are the differences?

Apache Maven and SBT are popular build automation tools used in Java and Scala ecosystems, respectively. Let's explore the key differences between them.

  1. Project Structure: Apache Maven follows a convention-over-configuration approach, where the project structure is predefined and organized in a specific way. On the other hand, SBT allows flexibility in project structure, giving developers more freedom to organize their code and resources as per their preferences and needs.

  2. Build Configuration: Maven uses an XML-based configuration file called "pom.xml" to define project dependencies, plugins, and other build configurations. SBT, on the other hand, uses a Scala-based configuration file called "build.sbt". The use of a programming language instead of XML allows developers to write more expressive and dynamic build configurations.

  3. Dependency Management: Maven relies on a centralized repository called Maven Central to manage dependencies. The dependencies are defined in the pom.xml file, and Maven retrieves them from the central repository. SBT, on the other hand, uses the Ivy dependency management system, which can work seamlessly with Maven repositories but also allows the use of other repository types. SBT's flexibility in dependency management provides better control over resolving and managing dependencies.

  4. Scalability and Performance: Maven is known to be slower and less efficient when handling large projects with multiple modules. This is due to its sequential build process and lack of parallelism. SBT, on the other hand, is designed to be more scalable and performant, thanks to its incremental and parallel compilation model. SBT intelligently detects and compiles only the modified code, resulting in faster build times for large projects.

  5. Language Support: Apache Maven is primarily focused on Java projects and has excellent support for Java-related build tasks. SBT, on the other hand, has excellent support for Scala projects, including features like automatic dependency management, incremental compilation, and powerful Scala-based build configurations. While Maven can be used for Scala projects as well, SBT provides a more tailored and optimized experience for Scala developers.

  6. Extensibility: Maven offers a wide range of plugins that can be used to extend its functionality. These plugins can be added to the project's pom.xml file, and Maven takes care of downloading and configuring them. In contrast, SBT provides native support for scripting and can be easily extended with custom tasks and settings using Scala code. SBT's extensibility allows developers to create more customized and specific build processes.

In summary, Apache Maven is known for its simplicity and convention-over-configuration approach, making it suitable for standard Java projects with straightforward build requirements. On the other hand, SBT excels in Scala projects, offering advanced features tailored for Scala development, such as interactive development mode and native support for Scala's syntax and ecosystem.

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Pros of Apache Maven
Pros of SBT
  • 138
    Dependency management
  • 70
    Necessary evil
  • 60
    I’d rather code my app, not my build
  • 48
    Publishing packaged artifacts
  • 43
    Convention over configuration
  • 18
    Modularisation
  • 11
    Consistency across builds
  • 6
    Prevents overengineering using scripting
  • 4
    Runs Tests
  • 4
    Lot of cool plugins
  • 3
    Extensible
  • 2
    Hard to customize
  • 2
    Runs on Linux
  • 1
    Runs on OS X
  • 1
    Slow incremental build
  • 1
    Inconsistent buillds
  • 1
    Undeterminisc
  • 1
    Good IDE tooling
  • 1
    Support for publishing artifacts in Maven, Ivy formats
  • 1
    Works across Windows, Linux and MacOS
  • 1
    Support for Zinc and BSP
  • 1
    No Breaking Changes
  • 1
    Best for Mono-Repo and Multi-Project builds
  • 1
    Preference option to build Mix Scala-Java Projects
  • 1
    IntelliJ support
  • 1
    Continuous compilation
  • 1
    Flexible
  • 1
    Dependency manageemnt
  • 1
    Incremental Builds

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Cons of Apache Maven
Cons of SBT
  • 6
    Complex
  • 1
    Inconsistent buillds
  • 0
    Not many plugin-alternatives
  • 1
    Learning Curve is a bit steep

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What is Apache Maven?

Maven allows a project to build using its project object model (POM) and a set of plugins that are shared by all projects using Maven, providing a uniform build system. Once you familiarize yourself with how one Maven project builds you automatically know how all Maven projects build saving you immense amounts of time when trying to navigate many projects.

What is SBT?

It is similar to Java's Maven and Ant. Its main features are: Native support for compiling Scala code and integrating with many Scala test frameworks.

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What companies use Apache Maven?
What companies use SBT?
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What are some alternatives to Apache Maven and SBT?
Jira
Jira's secret sauce is the way it simplifies the complexities of software development into manageable units of work. Jira comes out-of-the-box with everything agile teams need to ship value to customers faster.
Jenkins
In a nutshell Jenkins CI is the leading open-source continuous integration server. Built with Java, it provides over 300 plugins to support building and testing virtually any project.
Gradle
Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. If you are building, testing, publishing, and deploying software on any platform, Gradle offers a flexible model that can support the entire development lifecycle from compiling and packaging code to publishing web sites.
Apache Ant
Ant is a Java-based build tool. In theory, it is kind of like Make, without Make's wrinkles and with the full portability of pure Java code.
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat powers numerous large-scale, mission-critical web applications across a diverse range of industries and organizations.
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