Cannot run Maven using `mvn -D` argument within Microsoft Powershell, but works in Command Prompt

Question

I am trying to build our web project from the commandline but skipping the testing. I am using the command mvn clean install -Dmaven.test.skip=true.

When I run the command from the traditional black & white Command Prompt (aka DOS shell) the command works, but when I run it from the command from "Windows PowerShell" I get the following error:

[ERROR] Unknown lifecycle phase ".test.skip=true". You must specify a valid lifecycle phase or a goal in the format <plugin-prefix>:<goal> or <plugin-group-id>:<plugin- artifact-id>[:<plugin-version>]:<goal>. Available lifecycle phases are: validate, initialize, generate-sources, process-sources, generate-resources, process-resources, compile, process-classes, generate-test-sources, process-test-sources, generate-test-resources, process-test-resources, test-compile, process-test-classes, test, prepar e-package, package, pre-integration-test, integration-test, post-integration-test, verify, install, deploy, pre-site, site, post-site, site-deploy, pre-clean, clean, po st-clean. -> [Help 1]

What is causing this discrepancy and how do I get PowerShell to behave like the traditional Command Prompt?

This is running on Windows 7.

Answer 1

When you run into problems with PowerShell's interpretation of arguments to be passed to a console EXE, try using the echoargs.exe utility that comes with the PowerShell Community Extensions. With this tool you can see how PowerShell supplies the arguments to the EXE e.g.:

PS> echoargs mvn clean install -Dmaven.test.skip=true Arg 0 is <mvn> Arg 1 is <clean> Arg 2 is <install> Arg 3 is <-Dmaven> Arg 4 is <.test.skip=true>  PS> echoargs mvn clean install '-Dmaven.test.skip=true' Arg 0 is <mvn> Arg 1 is <clean> Arg 2 is <install> Arg 3 is <-Dmaven.test.skip=true> 

Short answer - use quoting '-Dmaven.test.skip=true'

Answer 2

According to this email thread:

Generally if you are using Powershell for Maven, svn etc you end up having to escape any arguments which start with a dash (-). The escape character in Powershell is a backtick. So you end up with mvn archetype:create `-DgroupId=blah `-DartifactId=blah. , the '-' is a special character that needs escaping with a back-tick when you run maven from Powershell console.