To use the plugin, you've got two options: First of all, it can create a simple text file, called target/rat.txt, with the plugin's output. This is done by invoking the apache-rat:check goal.
You may also add a report to the generated site. This is your second option.
To create a text file with the report, you need to run the apache-rat:check goal. Add a section like the following to your POM:
<build>
<plugins>
...
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.rat</groupId>
<artifactId>apache-rat-plugin</artifactId>
<version>0.17-SNAPSHOT</version>
</plugin>
...
</plugins>
</build>Once you have done that, the plugin can be run from the command line by simply typing
mvn apache-rat:check
An example for running the plugin automatically can be found here.
A section like the following must be added to your POM:
<reporting>
<plugins>
...
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.rat</groupId>
<artifactId>apache-rat-plugin</artifactId>
<version>0.17-SNAPSHOT</version>
</plugin>
...
</plugins>
</reporting>The report will be created automatically when you generate the site:
mvn site
The Rat Maven plugin has a number of options as is shown in the table below.
Maven Description Argument Type
<editCopyright>Arg</editCopyright> The copyright message to use in the license headers. String
Usually in the form of "Copyright 2008 Foo". Only
valid with <editLicense>
<editOverwrite /> Forces any changes in files to be written directly to -- none --
the source files so that new files are not created.
Only valid with <editLicense>.
<editLicense /> Add the default license header to any file with an -- none --
unknown license that is not in the exclusion list. By
default new files will be created with the license
header, to force the modification of existing files
use the <editOverwrite> option.
<config>File</config> File names for system configuration. File
<configurationNoDefaults /> Ignore default configuration. -- none --
<licensesApproved>LicenseID</licensesApp A comma separated list of approved License IDs. These LicenseID
roved> licenses will be added to the list of approved
licenses.
<licensesApprovedFile>File</licensesAppr Name of file containing comma separated lists of File
ovedFile> approved License IDs.
<licenseFamiliesApproved>FamilyID</licen A comma separated list of approved license family IDs. FamilyID
seFamiliesApproved> These license families will be added to the list of
approved license families.
<licenseFamiliesApprovedFile>File</licen Name of file containing comma separated lists of File
seFamiliesApprovedFile> approved family IDs.
<licensesDenied>LicenseID</licensesDenie A comma separated list of denied License IDs. These LicenseID
d> licenses will be removed from the list of approved
licenses. Once licenses are removed they can not be
added back.
<licensesDeniedFile>File</licensesDenied Name of file containing comma separated lists of the File
File> denied license IDs. These licenses will be removed
from the list of approved licenses. Once licenses are
removed they can not be added back.
<licenseFamiliesDenied>FamilyID</license A comma separated list of denied License family IDs. FamilyID
FamiliesDenied> These license families will be removed from the list
of approved licenses. Once license families are
removed they can not be added back.
<licenseFamiliesDeniedFile>File</license Name of file containing comma separated lists of denied File
FamiliesDeniedFile> license IDs. These license families will be removed
from the list of approved licenses. Once license
families are removed they can not be added back.
<counterMax>CounterPattern</counterMax> The acceptable maximum number for the specified CounterPattern
counter. A value of '-1' specifies an unlimited
number.
<counterMin>CounterPattern</counterMin> The minimum number for the specified counter. CounterPattern
<inputSource>File</inputSource> A file containing file names to process. File names File
must use linux directory separator ('/') or none at
all. File names that do not start with '/' are
relative to the directory where the argument is
located.
<inputExclude>Expression</inputExclude> Excludes files matching <Expression>. Expression
<inputExcludeFile>File</inputExcludeFile Reads <Expression> entries from a file. Entries will be File
> excluded from processing.
<inputExcludeStd>StandardCollection</inp Excludes files defined in standard collections based on StandardCollection
utExcludeStd> commonly occurring groups.
<inputExcludeSize>Integer</inputExcludeS Excludes files with sizes less than the given argument. Integer
ize>
<inputInclude>Expression</inputInclude> Includes files matching <Expression>. Will override Expression
excluded files.
<inputIncludeFile>File</inputIncludeFile Reads <Expression> entries from a file. Entries will File
> override excluded files.
<inputIncludeStd>StandardCollection</inp Includes files defined in standard collections based on StandardCollection
utIncludeStd> commonly occurring groups. Will override excluded
files.
<inputExcludeParsedScm>StandardCollectio Parse SCM based exclusion files to exclude specified StandardCollection
n</inputExcludeParsedScm> files and directories.
<outputStyle>StyleSheet</outputStyle> XSLT stylesheet to use when creating the report. Either StyleSheet
an external xsl file may be specified or one of the
internal named sheets.
<outputLicenses>LicenseFilter</outputLic List the defined licenses. LicenseFilter
enses>
<outputFamilies>LicenseFilter</outputFam List the defined license families. LicenseFilter
ilies>
-- not supported -- Sets the log level. LogLevel
<dryRun /> If set do not update the files but generate the -- none --
reports.
<outputFile>File</outputFile> Define the output file where to write a report to. File
<outputArchive>ProcessingType</outputArc Specifies the level of detail in ARCHIVE file ProcessingType
hive> reporting.
<outputStandard>ProcessingType</outputSt Specifies the level of detail in STANDARD file ProcessingType
andard> reporting.
<helpLicenses /> Print information about registered licenses. -- none --
-- not supported -- Print help for the RAT command line interface and exit. -- none --
The Rat maven plugin uses the standard argument types as shown below.
<>
<Arg>
A string
<CounterPattern>
A pattern comprising one of the following prefixes followed by a colon and a count (e.g. UNAPPROVED:5). Prefixes
are
APPROVED: A count of approved licenses. Default range [0, unlimited]
ARCHIVES: A count of archive files. Default range [0, unlimited]
BINARIES: A count of binary files. Default range [0, unlimited]
DOCUMENT_TYPES: A count of distinct document types. Default range [1, unlimited]
IGNORED: A count of ignored files. Default range [0, unlimited]
LICENSE_CATEGORIES: A count of distinct license categories. Default range [1, unlimited]
LICENSE_NAMES: A count of distinct license names. Default range [1, unlimited]
NOTICES: A count of notice files. Default range [0, unlimited]
STANDARDS: A count of standard files. Default range [1, unlimited]
UNAPPROVED: A count of unapproved licenses. Default range [0, 0]
UNKNOWN: A count of unknown file types. Default range [0, unlimited].
<DirOrArchive>
A directory or archive file to scan.
<Expression>
A file matching pattern usually of the form used in Ant build files and '.gitignore' files (see
https://ant.apache.org/manual/dirtasks.html#patterns for examples). Regular expression patterns may be
specified by surrounding the pattern with '%regex[' and ']'. For example '%regex[[A-Z].*]' would match files
and directories that start with uppercase latin letters.
<FamilyID>
The ID for a license family.
<File>
A file name.
<Integer>
An integer value.
<LicenseFilter>
A defined filter for the licenses to include. Valid values: ALL, APPROVED, NONE.
<LicenseID>
The ID for a license.
<LogLevel>
The log level to use. Valid values DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, OFF.
<ProcessingType>
Specifies how to process file types. Valid values are:
NOTIFICATION: List file as present
PRESENCE: List any licenses found
ABSENCE: List licenses found and any unknown licences
<StandardCollection>
Defines standard expression patterns (see above). Valid values are:
ALL: All of the Standard Excludes combined.
ARCH: The files and directories created by an ARCH source code control based tool.
BAZAAR: The files and directories created by a Bazaar source code control based tool.
BITKEEPER: The files and directories created by a Bitkeeper source code control based tool.
CVS: The files and directories created by a CVS source code control based tool.
DARCS: The files and directories created by a DARCS source code control based tool.
ECLIPSE: The files and directories created by an Eclipse IDE based tool.
GIT: The files and directories created by GIT source code control to support GIT, also processes files listed
in '.gitignore'.
HIDDEN_DIR: The hidden directories. Directories with names that start with '.'
HIDDEN_FILE: The hidden files. Directories with names that start with '.'
IDEA: The files and directories created by an IDEA IDE based tool.
MAC: The .DS_Store files on Mac computers.
MAVEN: The files and directories created by Maven build system based project.
MERCURIAL: The files and directories created by a Mercurial source code control based tool.
MISC: The set of miscellaneous files generally left by editors and the like.
MKS: The files and directories created by an MKS source code control based tool.
RCS: The files and directories created by a RCS source code control based tool.
SCCS: The files and directories created by a SCCS source code control based tool.
SERENA_DIMENSIONS_10: The files and directories created by a Serena Dimensions V10 change control system based
tool.
STANDARD_PATTERNS: A standard collection of generally accepted patterns to ignore.
STANDARD_SCMS: A standard collection of SCMs
SUBVERSION: The files and directories created by a Subversion source code control based tool.
SURROUND_SCM: The files and directories created by a Surround SCM source code control based tool.
VSS: The files and directories created by a Visual Source Safe source code control based tool.
<StyleSheet>
Either an external xsl file or one of the internal named sheets. Internal sheets are:
plain-rat: The default style.
missing-headers: Produces a report of files that are missing headers.
unapproved-licenses: Produces a report of the files with unapproved licenses.
xml: Produces output in pretty-printed XML.