How do I conditionally include or exclude a file from an archetype when project is generated?

Question

I'm creating Maven 2 archetypes for our project (Weld). I would like to be able to control which files are placed into the generated project based on the value of a property that is defined during archetype:generate. For instance, I foresee the following prompt:

Define value for groupId: : com.example
Define value for artifactId: : myproject
Define value for package:  com.example: :
Define value for includeGradleSupport: : y

Based on the value of includeGradleSupport, I want to include (or not include) the build.gradle file in the generated project. If the user does not want Gradle support, I don't want to clutter up the generated project with unnecessary files.

Another example is that I might need to provide a Jetty web fragment (to activate a listener perhaps) if the user wants Jetty support.

It's all about customization of the project based on what the developer intends to use. While I could create a whole other archetype, sometimes the changes are so slight that it would be easier to include/exclude a file.

Is there a way to control this behavior using the archetype-metadata.xml descriptor?

Answer 1

I personally would move the parts that can be removed/added on user request and put the into different maven profiles so u can build different part using different profiles