log4j configuration file in a multi-module Maven project

Question

I am working on a multi-module Maven project, whose structure is like this:

war-module
jar-module

The war-module depends on the jar-module,

Answer 1

In the jar module, exclude the file from the jar:

    org.apache.maven.plugins
    maven-jar-plugin
    2.3.1
    
      
        log4j.xml
      
    

Use the buildhelper plugin to attach the log4j.xml to the build as a separate artifact

    org.codehaus.mojo
    build-helper-maven-plugin
    1.5
    
      
        attach-artifacts
        package
        
          attach-artifact
        
        
          
            
              ${project.build.outputDirectory}/log4j.xml
              xml
              log4j
            
          
        
      
    

Now in your war artifact, copy the xml to the output directory:

    org.apache.maven.plugins
    maven-dependency-plugin
    
      
        copy
        prepare-package
        
          copy
        
        
          
            
              ${project.groupId}
              your.jar.project.artifactId
              ${project.version}
              xml
              log4j
              ${project.build.outputDirectory}
              
              log4j.xml
            
          
        
      
    

But of course it would be easier to just put the file in [web-artifact]/src/main/resources in the first place :-)