This is a Java application template to bootstrap Your GWT 2.7.0 project using Maven build and Maven archetype generation tools. It is based on the code generated by GWT webAppCreator but altered and documented so that You can import this project in the IntelliJ, run tests and later deploy on Tomcat server. Template source is avaliable for customisation so that You can create and use it as Your own custom maven archetype.

• Run generate-archetype.cmd from the project root.
• Run install-archetype.cmd to install the generated archetype in Your local maven repository.
• To create a new project, go to Your workspace folder and run mvn archetype:generate -DarchetypeCatalog=local. Then select gwt-basic-app archetype.

According the GWT documentation You should create a new GWT-maven project using webAppCreator, but it has it's flaws.

Here is the sample command You should use according the GWT documentation:

webAppCreator.cmd -out gwt27-basic -templates sample,maven,eclipse,readme,_sample-test com.klavs.archetypes.TemplateApp or webAppCreator.cmd -out gwt27-basic -templates sample,maven,eclipse,readme,_sample-test,_eclipse-test com.klavs.archetypes.TemplateApp if You need test integration for Eclipse.

Following changes have been made to the original template, generated by webAppCreator. These are done to convert it to the working Maven project with a capability to generate a template archetype for later use:

• Removed maven dependencyManagement from pom.xml and replaced it with generic artifact variables in the pom file. (KISS. Dependency management was not working and I did not want to spend time to fix that.)
• Project directory structure (sources, tests, bould target, webapp) is documented in the pom.xml now. This helps at least IntelliJ IDE to properly import the project as maven project, find the project tests, run them and get results.
• The servlet code resides now in its own package and the change is reflected in the pom.xml gwt-maven-plugin configuration. (I had to make multiple servlets in my own project so I felt this was necessary)
• A servlet, named greetservlet path configuration setting is added in it's GreetServlet.gwt.xml. Without this setting RPC calls will not work when You deploy Your application on Tomcat.
• A few empty classes are added in the project structure, because maven archetype generator was messing up the project structure without them. You should probably remove Global.java and Servlet.java when project is generated.
• A build.cmd has build command sample that You should use to generate a resulting applet. (I have done some testing to ensure it works on Tomcat, but I have not tested it on AppEngine yet)
• A sample gitignore sampe (gitignore.sample) is added with a few defaults.
• A source for the main/client application refactored a bit because inner event handler class declaration was causing IntelliJ to mess up the source when doing source formating.
• A few other changes I did while battling maven archetype generation issues.

This GWT template is composed so that You can generate Your own maven archetype and use it for Your own project without webAppCreator.

• The project source resides in source-project
• A maven archetype is generated by mvn archetype:create-from-project -Darchetype.properties=../archetype.properties command from the project source.
• You can change a name, version and archetype groupId in archetype.properties file.
• It is highly recomended that You run mvn clean before You generate an archetype.
• Also remove any files generated by IDE or other tools, because they will be picked up by archetype generator and included if You do not delete them. You might not want that. A sample "clean-source.cmd" file is availabe.
• Go to the source-project/target/generated-sources/archetype and run mvn install to install the generated archetype in Your local maven repository (Usually it is Your $HOME/.m2/.. Look for the log messages to find an exact location)

• To create a new project from Your archetype You now use mvn archetype:generate -DarchetypeCatalog=local command
• To work with generated sources from the IntelliJ IDE You just import the project as maven project and let IntelliJ detect GWT framework and other project settings.

One thing should be kept in mind while maintaining a prototype for the archetype, if You decide to customize it. - The archetype generator will strip out all emtpy packages (and mess up Your source structure) from Your source tree if there are no Java source. And it will not recognize GWT .gwt.xml files as valid package content also. To fix that issue You have to keep at least one, valid, java class in each source package. It can be a simple, empty java class.

There are a few nice GWT tutorials available on the internet. Details below describe things that are different for this setup or something I do not remember being covered in other tutorials.

• To start development You run the application by mvn gwt:run. In the IntelliJ You can add maven run configuration to start and stop GWT DevMode from IDE. Any change You make on the client side will trigger the DevMode to recompile and You can see the changes in the browser on the fly.
• DevMode will not manage changes You do to the server side code or any changes in the webapp folder. To re-compile these You should stop devmode, run mvn clean and mvn gwt:run again.
• You should monitor Your system temp folder, because every time gwt devmode runs it will create some temporary files there and they can pile up and cause some trouble later if You do not delete them.
• You configure Your initial landing page in pom.xml runTarget setting for the DevMode and webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml welcome-file setting for the application server.
• GWT 2.7.0 with gwt-maven-plugin does not work with Java 1.8 source level. You can target Your build for 1.8, but Your source is limited to 1.7. (That means no lambdas and other 1.8 stuff, in Your GWT source code, sorry)

To add new servlet / module to the project You have to make several changes:

• Create a package for the servlet. You can use IDE refactoring tools to duplicate greetservlet package, but make sure Your imports are pointing to it's own code.
• Add a new servlet module to the pom.xml configuration/modules so that DevMode can pick it up.
• Add a servlet name and mapping configuration in webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml. Follow the sample.
• Add the client side code (a Javascript source, compiled by GWT from Your Java sources) to Your html page in the webapp. A working sample for greetservlet is <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="greetservlet/greetservlet.nocache.js"></script>