Spring Boot MVC Multi-Module Executeable jar

Question

I have a multimodule project, build with spring boot 1.1.7

The structure is

+ parent
    + import
        + web
        + backend

My Parent Module will include kind of microservices, what I want to manage from my parent (dependencies what all use) and so on. In import/backend there is my batch business logic, in web there is a mvc application, from where I can start batch job.

In Eclipse everything works fine for me, I can start the application from the Application.java file and application works.

Now I wanted to execute that application by executing executable jar file, but I get following error message when try starting from console.

java -jar application.jar
Kein Hauptmanifestattribut in application.jar

The jar is very small only 5kb, I didn't find any jars of 3 party dependencies in jar package.

The Pom of Web-Module is like follows:

    <project>

        <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

        <parent>
            <groupId>at.company.bbsng</groupId>
            <artifactId>bbsng-import</artifactId>
            <version>0.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
        </parent>

        <artifactId>bbsng-import-web</artifactId>
        <name>bbsng-import-web</name>
        <packaging>jar</packaging>

        <properties>
            <start-class>at.company.bbsng.dataimport.Application</start-class>
        </properties>


        <dependencies>

             <!-- APPLICATION -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>at.company.bbsng</groupId>
                <artifactId>bbsng-import-backend</artifactId>
                <version>${parent.version}</version>
            </dependency>

            <!-- SPRING ... -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
                <exclusions>
                    <exclusion>
                        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-logging</artifactId>
                        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                    </exclusion>
                </exclusions>
            </dependency>
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-log4j</artifactId>
            </dependency>
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
                <scope>test</scope>
            </dependency>

            ...


        </dependencies>



        <build>

            <plugins>
                <plugin>
                    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                    <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                </plugin>
            </plugins>

        </build>

</project>

Pom of Import Module is:

<project>

    <parent>
        <groupId>at.company.bbsng</groupId>
        <artifactId>bbsng</artifactId>
        <version>0.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>

    <artifactId>bbsng-import</artifactId>
    <name>bbsng-import</name>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>

    <modules>
        <module>backend</module>
        <module>web</module>
    </modules>

</project>

And Pom of Parent is:

<project>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>at.company.bbsng</groupId>
    <artifactId>bbsng</artifactId>
    <version>0.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>
    <name>bbsng</name>
    <description>BBS Next Generation Application Prototype</description>

    <properties>
        <java-version>1.8</java-version>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <org.springframework.boot-version>1.1.7.RELEASE</org.springframework.boot-version>
    </properties>

    <modules>
        <!-- <module>backend</module> -->
        <!-- <module>business</module> -->
        <module>import</module>
        <!-- <module>infra</module> -->
        <!-- <module>log</module> -->
        <!-- <module>rest</module> -->
    </modules>

    <dependencyManagement>
        <dependencies>

            <!-- SPRING-BOOT ... -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-dependencies</artifactId>
                <type>pom</type>
                <version>${org.springframework.boot-version}</version>
                <scope>import</scope>
            </dependency>

            <!-- JAVAX ... -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>javax.validation</groupId>
                <artifactId>validation-api</artifactId>
                <version>1.1.0.Final</version>
            </dependency>

            <!-- COMMONS ... -->

            ...

        </dependencies>
    </dependencyManagement>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>2.5</version>
                <configuration>
                    <tagBase>
                        svn://svn.int.company.at/stmlf-repository/prototype/bbsng/tags
                    </tagBase>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                <configuration>
                    <source>${java-version}</source>
                    <target>${java-version}</target>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>

    </build>

    <profiles>
        <profile>
            <id>external</id>
            <build>
                <resources>
                    <resource>
                        <directory>src/main/resources</directory>
                        <excludes>
                            <exclude>**/*custom*</exclude>
                            <exclude>**/custom/*</exclude>
                        </excludes>
                    </resource>
                </resources>
            </build>
        </profile>
    </profiles>    

</project>

If you need further information please ask. Hope you can help me.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Finally I found solution. The magic keyword is repackage, see link http://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/1.1.7.RELEASE/maven-plugin/usage.html

So I only need spring-boot-maven-plugin in my web module configured with repackage goal:

<plugins>
    <plugin>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <executions>
            <execution>
                <goals>
                    <goal>repackage</goal>
                </goals>
            </execution>
        </executions>
    </plugin>
</plugins>

Then all dependencies are packed in executeable jar file and is startable from console.

I hope it helps for people who face same issue.