prepare-feature.md

prepare-feature

---

Generates features.json file for user feature(s). The features.json file is JSON file that contains the information found within a feature's ESA manifest file. JSONs are a key requirement for the installation of any Liberty features(s) from a Maven repository.

In Open Liberty and WebSphere Liberty runtime versions 21.0.0.11 and above, this goal can prepare the user feature to generate the JSON file in the following way:

1. Place your user feature ESA file in Maven local repository or Maven Central repository.
2. Create a features-bom file for the user feature in Maven local repository or Maven Central repository. The features-bom artifact in each groupId provides the bill of materials (BOM) for each Maven artifacts.

<project>
 <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
 <groupId>userTest.user.test.features</groupId>
 <artifactId>features-bom</artifactId>
 <version>1.0</version>
 <packaging>pom</packaging>
 <name>user feature bill of materials</name>
 <description>user feature bill of materials</description>

 <dependencyManagement>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>userTest.user.test.features</groupId>
       <artifactId>testesa1</artifactId>
       <version>1.0</version>
       <type>esa</type>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
 </dependencyManagement>
</project>

3. Use the prepare-feature goal.

• Provide the Maven coordinate of the custom made features-bom file:

<plugin>
   <groupId>io.openliberty.tools</groupId>
   <artifactId>liberty-maven-plugin</artifactId>
   <executions>
       ...
       <execution>
           <id>prepare-feature</id>
           <phase>prepare-package</phase>
           <goals>
               <goal>prepare-feature</goal>
           </goals>
       </execution>
       ...
   </executions>
   <configuration>
      <installDirectory>/opt/ibm/wlp</installDirectory>
      <serverName>test</serverName>
   </configuration>
</plugin>

<dependencyManagement>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>userTest.user.test.features</groupId>
       <artifactId>features-bom</artifactId>
       <version>1.0</version>
       <type>pom</type>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
 </dependencyManagement>

4. Install the user feature using the install-feature goal.