Writing an extensions for Versions Plugin

Versions API allow you write extension for Versions Plugin.

Project template for extensions

Your Maven project should look like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 https://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <groupId>your.group</groupId>
  <artifactId>your-extension</artifactId>
  <version>ext.version</version>

  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo.versions</groupId>
      <artifactId>versions-api</artifactId>
      <version>2.16.2</version>
      <scope>provided</scope>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>javax.inject</groupId>
      <artifactId>javax.inject</artifactId>
      <version>1</version>
      <scope>provided</scope>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>
  
  <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <!-- build index of JSR 330 components -->
        <groupId>org.eclipse.sisu</groupId>
        <artifactId>sisu-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>${sisu-maven-plugin-version}</version>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>generate-index</id>
            <goals>
              <goal>main-index</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
</project>

Note that the classloader is shared with the versions-maven-plugin plugin classloader

The artifacts org.codehaus.mojo.versions:versions-api and javax.inject:javax.inject are always loaded in the same version as used versions-maven-plugin use.

Extension artifact should therefore only depend on them with provided scope.

Using extensions with Version Maven Plugin

You need to add your extension as plugin dependency:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 https://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <groupId>your.group</groupId>
  <artifactId>your-project</artifactId>


  <build>
    <pluginManagement>
      <plugins>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
          <artifactId>versions-maven-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.16.2</version>
          <dependencies>
            <dependency>
              <!-- add your extension as plugin dependency -->
              <groupId>your.group</groupId>
              <artifactId>your-extension</artifactId>
              <version>ext.version</version>
            </dependency>
          </dependencies>
        </plugin>
      </plugins>
    </pluginManagement>
  </build>
</project>

General information about JSR 330 in Maven ecosystem.