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  ------
  Usage
  ------
  Milos Kleint
  ------
  Oct 2007
  ------

Usage
 
  Brief examples on how to use the toolchains plugin.
 
* Generic Plugin configuration information

  See the following links for information about including and configuring plugins in your project:
  
  *{{{http://maven.apache.org/guides/mini/guide-configuring-plugins.html}Configuring Plugins}}
  
  *{{{http://maven.apache.org/guides/plugin/guide-java-plugin-development.html}Plugin Development}}

  *{{{http://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-plugin-prefix-mapping.html}Plugin Prefix}}

   []
  
* What is a toolchain?

  Toolchain is a preconfigured object that maven plugins can ask for tool location and other information.
The toolchains-plugin can read the persisted toolchains on the user's computer
and match it against the toolchain requirements of the project (as configured in pom.xml)
If match is found, the toolchain instance is made available to other maven plugins.
That way all plugins can use the same JDK instance for example without hardcoding absolute paths into the pom.xml 
and without configuring all plugins that require path to JDK tools.
  

* The <<<toolchains:toolchain>>> mojo

   This goal are meant to be bound to a lifecycle phase and configured in your
   <<<pom.xml>>>. In order to function properly it shall be the first phase in the lifecycle, eg. the "validate" phase.
   
   The available standard toolchains are described {{{toolchains/index.html}here}}. 
   
   
   []