JavaRCA: Java Recipe for Carefree dependency Administration

Your Java program is made up of JAR files — the modular building blocks of your software. Most come from open-source libraries, which are easy to add: like jars full of delicious jam, free for the taking from public repositories. But over time, these sweet-looking dependencies carry a hidden cost. As libraries evolve, maintenance becomes a burden. In long-lived projects, dependency management often turns into a tangled mess — tedious, error-prone, and time-consuming. With a modern Java toolset, you can avoid that. The JavaRCA recipe provides a clear guideline to help you do just that.

The JavaRCA recipe works with the common approaches to define dependencies in Java projects. For new projects, it's recommended to use the Java Module System for dependency definition, with Gradle as the build tool. If you rely on frameworks that don't yet support the Module System well, you may use Gradle plainly. If you prefer Maven – or if you work on an existing Maven-based project – you can use that too, with or without the Module System. What matters most is being intentional and aware of your setup.

 /* Java Module System¹ */

requires transitive
  de.javarca.model;
requires
  org.apache.commons.io;

       /* Gradle */

api(
  project(":javarca-model")
)
implementation(
  "commons-io:commons-io"
)

          <!-- Maven -->

<dependency>
  <groupId>de.javarca</groupId>
  <artifactId>javarca-model</artifactId>
  <version>${revision}</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
  <artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
</dependency>