The container 'Maven Dependencies' references non existing library

If you copy an Eclipse-Maven project from one computer to another, you may get a Build Path Problem resembling:  "The container 'Maven Dependencies' references non existing library 'XXXXXXXXXXXX'".  This is obviously due to a difference in the location of the local Maven repository from one computer to the other. 

To fix this, right-click on the project > Maven > Disable Dependency Management.  Once Eclipse has finished rebuilding the project, right-click on the project > Maven > Enable Dependency Management.  This error should now be gone.  

Maven project has errors in Eclipse (no changes were made)

Possible fixes:

1. More common:  If Project > Build Automatically is checked off, do a Project > Clean on the problematic project.  Usually this fixes the issue.
2. If compile errors persist, especially indicating dependencies that should be resolved by Maven, Project > Update All Maven Dependencies.  This may be needed if the local repository was moved; Eclipse may need to be refreshed of this.  
• Speaking of which, after moving the Maven local repository, simply update the path in the settings.xml file in the .m2 directory in your home directory (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\alan.leung\.m2 or ~/.m2 on *nix)

Debugging Tomcat-hosted applications running outside of Eclipse/WTP

1. Execute Tomcat like so:  <Tomcat home>/bin/catalina.sh jpda start
2. By default (see catalina.sh contents), the JPDA address is 8000
3. In Eclipse, set up the following under Run > Debug Configurations > Remote Java Application:
   
   
4. Of course, browse to the web application project you want to debug.  
5. When you run this debug configuration, you will be able to step-through the code just as if you were running the web application inside Eclipse/WTP.  If necessary, add more projects under the Source tab.
   

Axis2 web service generation in Eclipse

Still exploring this but haven't figured out the purpose of two options in the Web Service wizard:

Not checking "Publish the Web service" still brings up a dialog about publishing to UDDI.  Not checking "Monitor the Web service" still creates a axis2-web folder and all the JSPs, etc. as checking the option; axis2-web seems to be a web application for monitoring the web service.

What effect do these options have? 

Strategies to creating a new web application project

A seemingly trivial task, starting a new web app project in Eclipse, requires specific steps when working with an assortment of technologies like Maven and Subversion.

1. File > New > Other > Dynamic Web Project 
2. To conform with Maven's WAR project structure, in the following dialog, specify /src/main/webapp for the Content Directory:

3. Once the project is created, right-click on project > Maven > Enable Dependency Management. 
4. The project can be associated with a pre-existing Subversion folder by Team > Share Project and on this dialog, enter the path of the Subversion folder at "Use specified folder name":
 
5. I might have been on crack when I performed the steps below ... they are not necessary and are retained only for reference purposes:
   
6. If you generally set-up a project in Subversion with the typical folders of branches, tags, trunk, create these first and then with Subclipse check-out the trunk as your working copy (change the project name from trunk to something appropriate).  If you start your project in Eclipse and then attempt to Team > Share Project, Eclipse dialogs seem to force you to create a new Subversion location under trunk rather than committing to trunk directly
7. Create Maven web app project, commit, re-check-out using Eclipse New Project Wizard 
1. Use a Maven archetype to create the skeleton of your web app project in the SVN working copy.  You can do this from the command-line (refresh workspace once done) or using m2eclipse via File > New > Other > Maven project.  However this step does not create an Eclipse project that is recognized by WTP's Tomcat
2. Commit Maven project
3. Then delete project from workspace including contents on disk (this is OK since everything is already committed to Subversion)
4. Re-check-out using Eclipse's New Project Wizard, choosing Dynamic Web Project for the wizard type.  Along the way, there is a dialog box that asks for "Content directory":  From here you cannot specify the webapp directory in Maven's specific structure so just ignore for now
5. Once the project is checked-out, edit the file .settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component.xml  There is a line that will probably read <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/WebContent"/>.  Change that to <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/src/main/webapp"/>
6. Your project should now be Add-able to WTP's Tomcat and content in /src/main/webapp should be viewable in the web browser

Subversion over SSH on Windows: Folder '' does not exist remotely

Setting up SpringSource Tool Suite on Windows 7, when attempting to connect using Subclipse to SVN server with a URL of the form svn+ssh://, get the error "Folder '' does not exist remotely". 

Some people have had luck with HowTo: Configure SVN+SSH with Subclipse on Windows but I kept being prompted for username/password with each folder navigation in the SVN repository (unworkable!).  One of the comments in the blog referred me to Subversion Access from Eclipse Using Subclipse which worked for me although I continue to use username/password (saved) rather than public/private key as the latter method didn't work.  I probably have the key saved improperly on the client and/or server side. 

Other problems that I had as I accessed our SVN server over a VPN:

• hostname wasn't resolving so I had to find out the IP address of the SVN server and use that in the URL
• Attempted to use TortoiseSVN as it supposedly handles svn+ssh:// out of the box but after installation and rebooting Windows, still couldn't find the TortoiseSVN menu in the context menu in Windows Explorer

Tomcat installation changed, problems launching Tomcat in Eclipse

• Install location of Tomcat has changed.  Get message "The archive: [...]/apache-tomcat-6.0.20/bin/bootstrap.jar which is referenced by the classpath, does not exist." when attempting to launch Tomcat in Eclipse
• Fix: 
1. In Servers view, double-click on Tomcat server.  Overview of Tomcat settings appears.  
2. Click on "Open launch configuration"
3. Go to Classpath tab
4. Edit User Entries as appropriate
• If you haven't already, specify your Tomcat installation under Preferences > Server > Runtime Environments