gwt-maven-archetypes

This project contains Maven archetypes for modular GWT projects.

How to use

In order to generate a modular GWT project from the available archetypes, first you need to clone and install this project locally:

git clone https://github.com/tbroyer/gwt-maven-archetypes.git
cd gwt-maven-archetypes && mvn clean install

Generate a project

mvn archetype:generate \
   -DarchetypeGroupId=net.ltgt.gwt.archetypes \
   -DarchetypeArtifactId=<artifactId> \
   -DarchetypeVersion=1.0-SNAPSHOT

where the available <artifactIds> are:

modular-webapp
modular-requestfactory
guice-rf-activities

Start the development mode

Change directory to your generated project and issue the following commands:

mvn clean install -Dgwt.compiler.skip
In one terminal window: cd *-server && mvn jetty:start -Ddev
In another terminal window: cd *-client && mvn gwt:run -Ddev

Profiles

There are two profiles defined in the POM file of client module:

dev is to speed-up development with gwt:run and jetty:start by not requiring a restart when a change to the ${rootArtifactId}-shared is made
draft is to speed-up GWT compilation, and will only compile (by default) for WebKit-based browsers (Safari, Chrome)

To activate dev or draft you can provide the -Ddev or -Ddraft system properties respectively, or use -Pdev or -Pdraft.

Note that the DevMode (gwt:run) won't work after a compilation made with the draft profile. You'll have to mvn clean the project first and start over.

Productivity tips

When working on the server-side code exclusively, you don't need GWT's DevMode. You can then compile the GWT app using mvn package or mvn package -Ddraft and then cd *-server && mvn jetty:start -Ddev. The webapp will be redeployed automatically when you change a class (either compiled by your IDE, or by mvn compile) in either the ${rootArtifactId}-server or ${rootArtifactId}-shared module (be careful though when changing classes in shared that you do not break the GWT client code, particularly when using GWT-RPC).

When working on the client-side code exclusively, to quickly test it in a browser in production mode, use mvn package -Ddraft. You can use mvn package -Ddraft -pl :${rootArtifactId}-client -am while the Jetty server is running (launched by cd *-server && mvn jetty:start -Ddev), and then simply hit F5 in your browser. Make sure you use a browser compatible with the one declared in the ${rootArtifactId}-client/src/main/java/${package}/${module}_dev.gwt.xml file (by default, Safari or Chrome).

Compatibility

To use variable interpolation in parameters during mvn archetype:generate, you need at least version 2.2 of the maven-archetype-plugin. Archetypes use ${module.toLowerCase()} as the default value for the module-short-name parameter, so if you don't use version 2.2 or above of the maven-archetype-plugin, make sure you provide a value and do not use the default one for that parameter. You can also make sure you use version 2.2 of the plugin by using mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-archetype-plugin:2.2:generate instead of mvn archetype:generate.