How to open a browser with a url from maven build

Question

I'm building a web-application with Maven3 and run it via mvn jetty:run-war. Now I'd like to open the web-app from my maven build in the system browser.

Answer 1

I solved my problem on os windows, which is currently my only build system. After the jetty server is started and hosting my web-app the build makes a start call via antrun:

<plugin>
    <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>1.7</version>
    <executions>
      <execution>
        <id>Run URL in system browser.</id>
        <phase>install</phase>
        <configuration>
          <target>
            <exec executable="start" vmlauncher="false">
              <arg line="http://localhost:8080/rap?startup=entrypoint"/>
            </exec>
          </target>
        </configuration>
        <goals>
          <goal>run</goal>
        </goals>
      </execution>
    </executions>
  </plugin>

Answer 2

I have written a Maven plugin that can open browser on each platform/JDK as part of my bck2brwsr VM work. It can be used to show any static page in your project. Following example opens browser with content of pom.xml file:

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.apidesign.bck2brwsr</groupId>
    <artifactId>bck2brwsr-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>0.22</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <id>show-a-file</id>
            <phase>verify</phase>
            <goals>
                <goal>show</goal>
            </goals>
            <configuration>
                <directory>${basedir}</directory>
                <startpage>pom.xml</startpage>
            </configuration>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

I know opening a static page isn't perfect, but it can contain appropriate redirect, right? Moreover, if there is an interested, the plugin can easily be improved to open any URL. Pull Requests welcomed.