[MNG-6279] -pl <module> at *end* of command line should raise a warning

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Incomplete
• Affects Version/s: 3.0.5
• Component/s: Command Line
• Environment: Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Chris Hennick
• Created: 06/Sep/17 03:20
• Updated: 24/Jun/18 19:52
• Resolved: 24/Jun/18 19:52

Description

I recently tried to run tests on only one specific module using this shell script:

#!/bin/sh
mvn jacoco:prepare-agent -pl betterrandom &&\
mvn test -pl betterrandom &&\
mvn jacoco:report -pl betterrandom &&\
if [ "$TRAVIS" = "true" ]; then
  mvn coveralls:report -pl betterrandom
fi

It took me a long time to find out that the -pl <module> option needed to come before the goals it was to apply to. Since -pl <module> with no goals after it can't have any effect, it's almost certainly a sign that the command-line parameters are out of order. And since this is such an easy mistake to make when one's new to multi-module Maven projects, the invocation should raise a warning along the lines of "-pl <module> in this position has no effect. To filter a goal to a specific module, it must come before that goal on the command line. Did you mean mvn -pl <module> <goal...>?"