Basics

XMvn is driven by configuration. It loads configuration in XML format, which can be used to control many aspects of XMvn behaviour.

XMvn loads configuration from various sources. Each source uses exactly the same configuration format. Configuration particles from all the sources are merged together into a single master XMvn configuration.

Compatibility levels

XMvn has support for different compatibility levels. Compatibility level decies which set of configuration files is loaded. Each of the levels has different set of configuration files. Unless otherwise indicated, all XMvn documentation assumes that default compatibility level is used.

Sources of configuration

XMvn reads its configuration from the following sources:

1. Reactor configuration directory - specified in configuration files in $PWD/.xmvn/config.d/ directory,
2. Reactor configuration file - specified in configuration file $PWD/.xmvn/configuration.xml,
3. User configuration directory - specified in configuration files in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/xmvn/config.d/ directory,
4. User configuration file - specified in configuration file $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/xmvn/configuration.xml,
5. User data directory - specified in configuration files in $XDG_DATA_HOME/xmvn/config.d/ directory,
6. User data file - specified in configuration file $XDG_DATA_HOME/xmvn/configuration.xml,
7. System configuration directories - specified in configuration files in $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/xmvn/config.d/ directory,
8. System configuration files - specified in configuration file $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/xmvn/configuration.xml,
9. System data directories - specified in configuration files in $XDG_DATA_DIRS/xmvn/config.d/ directory,
10. System data files - specified in configuration file $XDG_DATA_DIRS/xmvn/configuration.xml,
11. Builtin configuration - embedded directly in xmvn-core.jar as a resource.

In the above list $PWD means current working directory. For the meaning of $XDG_CONFIG_HOME, $XDG_DATA_HOME, $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS and $XDG_DATA_DIRS see the XDG Base Directory Specification.

All these files are in the same format, which is fully documented in configuration reference. Configuration is inherited from files of lower precedence. For example if some setting is not found in reactor configuration then it will be inherited from user configuration, but if this setting is explicitly set in reactor configuration then it will take precedence over user configuration.

Configuration merging

Each configuration source has defined its precedence, which affects the way how configuration particles are merged together to give the single master configuration.