meta-modules to group dependencies

[Jason Dillon]

Anyone have any oppinon on creating meta-modules to group  
dependencies that are commonly used together?

For example, in most places where xmlbeans is a dep, so is stax, as in:
    <dependency>
        <groupId>xmlbeans</groupId>
        <artifactId>xbean</artifactId>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>stax</groupId>
        <artifactId>stax-api</artifactId>
    </dependency>

We could create a meta-module, which simply defines these as  
dependencies, then use the meta-module as a dependency to simplify  
some of the commonly used dependencies.

This could also be used to allow better support for picking up  
versions of dependencies when we build the CTS server for TCK  
testing.  For example, right now we have to include versions for  
openejb and yoko in the CTS build:

   <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.openejb</groupId>
        <artifactId>openejb-core</artifactId>
        <version>2.3-incubating-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.openejb</groupId>
        <artifactId>openejb-corba</artifactId>
        <version>2.3-incubating-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.openejb</groupId>
        <artifactId>openejb-yoko</artifactId>
        <version>2.3-incubating-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.yoko</groupId>
        <artifactId>yoko-core</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-incubating-M2-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.yoko</groupId>
        <artifactId>yoko-spec-corba</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-incubating-M2-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.yoko</groupId>
        <artifactId>yoko-rmi-spec</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-incubating-M2-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.yoko</groupId>
        <artifactId>yoko-rmi-impl</artifactId>
        <version>1.0-incubating-M2-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </dependency>

IMO it would be better if there was some module in the server build  
which had these dependencies so that CTS always gets built with the  
correct version.

 * * *

Anyways, just a thought... meta-modules might help reduce some  
dependency configuration by centralizing dependency groupings.

Any thoughts?

--jason