POM

pom.xml is an XML file used by Apache Maven to manage a project's dependencies, build configuration, and other project-related metadata.

The file contains information about the project such as its name, version, dependencies, plugins, repositories, and build configuration. It serves as the project's descriptor and is used by Maven to understand the project structure and its dependencies.

Maven uses pom.xml to manage the project lifecycle, including tasks such as compilation, testing, packaging, and deployment. It also uses the file to resolve dependencies, which allows it to automatically download and manage the required libraries and frameworks.

Overall, pom.xml plays a critical role in the Maven build process, and it is essential to have a well-structured and correctly configured pom.xml file for a successful Maven build.

Main Tags

1. project: This is the root element of the pom.xml file, and it contains all other elements of the file. It also specifies the project's coordinates such as the groupId, artifactId, and version.
2. dependencies: This tag contains a list of all the project's dependencies. Each dependency is defined using the groupId, artifactId, and version tags.
3. build: This tag specifies the build settings and configuration for the project. It includes elements such as plugins, sourceDirectory, testSourceDirectory, resources, and testResources.
4. plugins: This tag contains a list of plugins used in the project build. Each plugin is defined using the groupId, artifactId, and version tags. Plugins can be used to perform various tasks such as compiling code, running tests, creating distributions, and deploying artifacts.
5. profiles: This tag contains a list of profiles that can be activated or deactivated based on specific criteria. Each profile can have its own set of dependencies, plugins, and build configuration.
6. repositories: This tag specifies the repositories where Maven can find project dependencies. Maven downloads all required dependencies from these repositories.
7. distributionManagement: This tag is used to specify the distribution management settings for the project. It includes elements such as repository, snapshotRepository, and site.

These are some of the main tags inside pom.xml. There are many other tags available that can be used to configure and customize the Maven build process.