Create an "Application Client" with Maven in Java EE - netbeans

Question

I am trying to create a maven based Enterprise Application with an Application Client which runs in the Application Client Container from GlassFish. It should fit togheter as the Project template from Netbeans "Enterprise Application" + "Enterprise Application Client" but with maven and not ant.
Until now I have following projects
Assembly Maven Project
EAR-Module
EJB-Module
WEB-Module (works well with inside the ear)
Swing Client Module
The Assembly pom.xml looks like:
<project xml...
<modules>
<module>shop-ear</module>
<module>shop-web</module>
<module>shop-ejb</module>
<module>shop-client</module>
</modules>
</project>
The ear pom.xml contain
<project ...>
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<parent>
<artifactId>shop</artifactId>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
</parent>
<groupId>ch.hslu.edu.enapp</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-ear</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<packaging>ear</packaging>
<!-- ... -->
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-ejb</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<type>ejb</type>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-web</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<type>war</type>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-client</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<type>jar</type>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
And the Swing Client pom.xml contains
<project xmlns=....>
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<parent>
<artifactId>shop</artifactId>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
</parent>
<groupId>my.package.name</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-client</artifactId>
<version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
<packaging>jar</packaging>
<name>shop-client</name>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.3.2</version>
<configuration>
<source>1.6</source>
<target>1.6</target>
</configuration>
</plugin>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.3.1</version>
<configuration>
<archive>
<manifest>
<mainClass>my.package.name.Main</mainClass>
</manifest>
</archive>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
<repositories>
<repository>
<url>http://download.java.net/maven/2/</url>
<id>java.net</id>
<layout>default</layout>
<name>java.net</name>
</repository>
</repositories>
<properties>
<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
</properties>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>junit</groupId>
<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
<version>3.8.1</version>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.jdesktop</groupId>
<artifactId>beansbinding</artifactId>
<version>1.2.1</version>
<type>jar</type>
<scope>compile</scope>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</project>
Currently I have no dependencies between the Swing Client and the EJB Module. I just want to get a simple Swing form up and running out of the ACC form GlassFish (v 3.1.1).
But this doesn't work. The Swing-Client is packed into the lib folder inside the ear-file and I can not start it.
Do you know a tutorial or example which fulfill this task?

Answer 1

Your ear pom needs to configure the ear plugin like (maybe you just left it out when you put it into your question?):
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-ear-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.3.2</version>
<configuration>
<version>6</version>
<generateApplicationXml>true</generateApplicationXml>
<defaultLibBundleDir>lib</defaultLibBundleDir>
<modules>
<webModule>
<groupId>com.foo</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-web</artifactId>
<contextRoot>webstuff</contextRoot>
</webModule>
<ejbModule>
<groupId>com.foo</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-ejb</artifactId>
<classifier>single</classifier>
<bundleFileName>shop-ejb.jar</bundleFileName>
</ejbModule>
<jarModule>
<groupId>com.foo</groupId>
<artifactId>shop-client</artifactId>
<bundleDir>/</bundleDir>
<bundleFileName>shop-client.jar</bundleFileName>
<includeInApplicationXml>true</includeInApplicationXml> <!-- i don't remember if this was absolutely necessary -->
</jarModule>
</modules>
</configuration>
</plugin>
That will package your application client jar outside the lib folder, and will help you define the context roots for your war modules (there isn't another way that I could find). The bundleFileName was important to get the URL to launch the client to make more sense.
I don't know of a single tutorial that puts this all together, but some resources are:
http://blogs.steeplesoft.com/2011/02/java-ees-buried-treasure-the-application-client-container/
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/jws-glassfish/part3.html
http://blogs.oracle.com/quinn/entry/customizing_generated_java_web_start

Answer 2

Now, there is official maven support for app clients
http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-acr-plugin/
http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-ear-plugin/examples/using-app-client.html
http://web.anahata-it.com/2011/09/09/java-jee-desktop-maven-enterprise-application-client/
NetBeans 7.1 will add support for maven app clients too.