How to get a Maven Dependency Convergence Report for “conflicts” between Dependency Management and transitive Dependencies?

Question

I search for a way to have a kind of dependency convergence report that list the dependencies that are defined in the dependency-management but are referenced by a transitive dependency with a different version.

I know maven-project-info-reports-plugin:dependency-convergence , but this list only the conflicts between dependencies defined in dependency (and the transitive dependency), but as soon as I define that dependency in dependency-management , it gets not listed in the report.

I just want to have a report, I do not want to fail the build if such a "conflict" occurs.

---

Background:

I have a Maven-Multi-Module project:

• formerly I have not used depencency-managent , but I used properties to define the dependency versions in the parent pom and declared the dependency in the dependency section of each module, with that property.
• But then I thought, lets follow Maven best practice and declare the dependencies and there version in parent depencency-managent and remove the version-tag from the child project depencency s.

(formerly) I used the maven-project-info-reports-plugin:dependency-convergence report to spot the transitive dependencies with a version conflict. In order to decide that I can "ignore" that conflict or I have to do something to solve it. (Typical I "ignored" the conflicts at bugfix-level (version number delta 0.0.X), but spend more time on conflicts at major- or minor-change level.

But after I moved the dependencies to depencency-managent , the maven-project-info-reports-plugin:dependency-convergence report is almost empty and does not spot any problems.

Answer 1

How about Maven Enforcer Plugin with Extra Enforcer Rules?

Let us create a little conflict between the Selenium version as managed by us and the one used by PhantomJS:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <groupId>de.scrum-master.stackoverflow</groupId>
  <artifactId>dependency-convergence</artifactId>
  <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

  <build>
    <plugins>
      <!-- Enforce important build rules -->
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>1.4.1</version>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>enforcer-rules-error</id>
            <goals>
              <goal>enforce</goal>
            </goals>
            <configuration>
              <fail>false</fail>
              <skip>false</skip>
              <rules>
                <requireMavenVersion>
                  <version>3.2.5</version>
                </requireMavenVersion>
              </rules>
            </configuration>
          </execution>
          <execution>
            <id>enforcer-rules-warning</id>
            <goals>
              <goal>enforce</goal>
            </goals>
            <configuration>
              <fail>false</fail>
              <skip>false</skip>
              <rules>
                <dependencyConvergence/>
              </rules>
            </configuration>
          </execution>
        </executions>
        <dependencies>
          <dependency>
            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
            <artifactId>extra-enforcer-rules</artifactId>
            <version>1.0-beta-6</version>
          </dependency>
        </dependencies>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>

  <dependencyManagement>
    <dependencies>
      <dependency>
        <groupId>com.codeborne</groupId>
        <artifactId>phantomjsdriver</artifactId>
        <version>1.3.0</version>
        <scope>test</scope>
      </dependency>
      <dependency>
        <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
        <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
        <version>3.0.1</version>
        <scope>test</scope>
      </dependency>
    </dependencies>
  </dependencyManagement>

  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>com.codeborne</groupId>
      <artifactId>phantomjsdriver</artifactId>
      <scope>test</scope>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>

</project>

The report looks like this (you have to learn to read it):

[WARNING] 
Dependency convergence error for commons-codec:commons-codec:1.9 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
      +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1
        +-commons-codec:commons-codec:1.9
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-commons-codec:commons-codec:1.10

[WARNING] 
Dependency convergence error for org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
      +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.2
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpmime:4.5.2
          +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.2

[WARNING] 
Dependency convergence error for org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-chrome-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-edge-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-firefox-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-ie-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-opera-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-safari-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-support:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1

[WARNING] Rule 0: org.apache.maven.plugins.enforcer.DependencyConvergence failed with message:
Failed while enforcing releasability the error(s) are [
Dependency convergence error for commons-codec:commons-codec:1.9 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
      +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1
        +-commons-codec:commons-codec:1.9
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-commons-codec:commons-codec:1.10
, 
Dependency convergence error for org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
      +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.2
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-net.sourceforge.htmlunit:htmlunit:2.23
        +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpmime:4.5.2
          +-org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.2
, 
Dependency convergence error for org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0 paths to dependency are:
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:2.53.0
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-chrome-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-edge-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-firefox-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-ie-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-opera-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-safari-driver:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
and
+-de.scrum-master.stackoverflow:dependency-convergence:1.0-SNAPSHOT
  +-com.codeborne:phantomjsdriver:1.3.0
    +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-java:3.0.1
      +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-support:3.0.1
        +-org.seleniumhq.selenium:selenium-remote-driver:3.0.1
]

I hope this helps and serves your purpose.

Caveat: I found this strange little glitch which can occur under certain circumstances. But let it not trouble you too much, basically it works nicely.