maven: How can I skip test in some projects via command line options?

To toggle unit tests on and off for an entire project use Maven Surefire Plugin's capability of skipping tests. There is a drawback with using skipTests from the command line. In a multi-module build scenario, this would disable all tests across all modules.

If you need more fine grain control of running a subset of tests for a module, look into using the Maven Surefire Plugin's test inclusion and exclusion capabilities.

To allow for command-line overrides, make use of POM properties when configuring the Surefire Plugin. Take for example the following POM segment:

  <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.9</version>
        <configuration>
          <excludes>
            <exclude>${someModule.test.excludes}</exclude>
          </excludes>
          <includes>
            <include>${someModule.test.includes}</include>
          </includes>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
  <properties>
    <someModule.skip.tests>false</someModule.skip.tests>
    <skipTests>${someModule.skip.tests}</skipTests>
    <someModule.test.includes>**/*Test.java</someModule.test.includes>
    <someModule.test.excludes>**/*Test.java.bogus</someModule.test.excludes>
  </properties>

With a POM like the above you can execute tests in a variety of ways.

Run all tests (the above configuration includes all **/*Test.java test source files)

mvn test

Skip all tests across all modules

mvn -DskipTests=true test

Skip all tests for a particular module

mvn -DsomeModule.skip.tests=true test

Only run certain tests for a particular module (this example includes all **/*IncludeTest.java test source files)

mvn -DsomeModule.test.includes="**/*IncludeTest.java" test

Exclude certain tests for a particular module (this example excludes all **/*ExcludeTest.java source files)

mvn -DsomeModule.test.excludes="**/*ExcludeTest.java" test

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…and if you like to pass the parameter to maven release plugin in Hudson/Jenkins you have to use -Darguments=-DskipTests to get it work.

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Found a way to exclude on command line:

# Exclude one test class, by using the explanation mark (!)
mvn test -Dtest=!LegacyTest
# Exclude one test method 
mvn verify -Dtest=!LegacyTest#testFoo
# Exclude two test methods
mvn verify -Dtest=!LegacyTest#testFoo+testBar
# Exclude a package with a wildcard (*)
mvn test -Dtest=!com.mycompany.app.Legacy*

This is from: https://blog.jdriven.com/2017/10/run-one-or-exclude-one-test-with-maven/

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If you want to use Maven profiles:

http://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-profiles.html

you might want to make it work doing something like this:

Skipping tests in some modules in Maven

I don't know if there is a supported command line option that does the same.

You also might try using environment properties directly, something as per this doc page:

http://maven.apache.org/plugins/maven-surefire-plugin/examples/skipping-test.html

i.e. something like:

  <plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>2.12</version>
    <configuration>
      <skipTests>${moduleA.skipTests}</skipTests>
    </configuration>
  </plugin>

then using mvn -DmoduleA.skipTests=false test to test that one module.

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