how to edit `.class` file in Maven dependency in Eclipse

Question

Ok, so I have my Java projects, and under the Maven dependency project folder on the project explorer, I encounter a jar folder, and in it there is a .cla

Answer 1

(for confused readers: it's about Eclipse knowing via Maven config how to jump to the known/available (possibly own) project source file to edit it when it is actually linked in the code via some previously packaged jar (with *.class files in it))

(We had the same problem, but it had worked before after some adjustments and we spend quite some time to figure this out ... )

our (typical EAR archetype) dir structure:

[projx]
  |- [ejb]
       |- pom.xml
            ...
            
            1.0-SNAPSHOT

            
            
            ...
  |- [web]
       |- pom.xml
            ...
            2.0.1-SNAPSHOT
            ...
            
                ...
                projx-ejb
                ejb

                
                

                provided
            
            ...
  |- [ear]
       |- pom.xml
            ...
            2.0.1-SNAPSHOT
            ...
  |- pom.xml

       
        ...
        2.0.1-SNAPSHOT
        ...
        
          ejb
          web
          ear
        
        ...

So the problem was that we forgot to increase the [ejb]/pom.xml//project/version (A)). After adjusting it similar to B) (we actually reference a global [projx]/pom.xml//project/properties/projx.version property), it worked again like a charm.

(If we would have had depended explicitely on an older, e.g. `projx-ejb-1.0.3.Final.jar, JAR version, we could have gone for the C) approach where of course the workspace resolution again would not work, rightously.)