Maven repositories explained

Maven is a popular build tool for Java developers, offering a standardized project format and a wide array of plugins for creating Java applications. It utilizes static file-based repositories, such as the widely used Maven Central, to store and distribute artifacts without requiring APIs or servers beyond an HTTP host. These repositories are easy to navigate in a web browser, but search portals like search.maven.org offer convenient indexes for artifact searches. Maven artifacts are identified by a GAV (Group, Artifact, Version) coordinate and may include multiple files distinguished by classifiers and packaging types, such as JARs, WARs, and source files. While developers can download artifacts using web browsers or tools like Curl, Maven's command-line interface simplifies the process by constructing URLs and handling file downloads based on specified GAVs, classifiers, and packaging types. Maven also supports SNAPSHOT versions, which are frequently updated during development and identified by unique timestamps in metadata files, allowing Maven clients to automatically download the latest version.