Apache Maven is a build tool widely being used by Java developers to manage project dependencies, control build process and automate tests. Apache Maven makes our life easier especially in building a complex Java project. However, beginners stay away from Apache Maven as I did years ago just because they find it complex to learn and use. This article simplifies the concept of Apache Maven and introduces Maven in a smooth way to beginners. In this article, you will see how you can use Apache Maven to manage your project dependencies using a simple Java project as an example. The article is structured into two main topics: Apache Maven in Eclipse and Apache Maven in IntelliJ IDEA. Of course, you can use Apache Maven without any IDEs. However, I stick with IDEs to make it simple for beginners. Other applications of Apache Maven like build management and test automation will be covered in another article.
Let's begin with manual dependency management using a simple calculator application. Suppose you want to develop a Calculator that receives a simple arithmetic expression like "2 + 3 * 5" as input and prints the output in the console. It is a complex task to evaluate such a String input and calculate the result by ourselves. Fortunately, there is a library: exp4j which can evaluate a String expression and return the output.