To use the maven-assemlby-plugin to create a jar, your pom.xml file should look like so.  Note that i’ve commented out the <descriptorRef> element because I am defining a descriptor file that the plugin will reference using the more versatile <descriptors> element. The assembly-descriptor.xml file it needs to understand how to execute my desired jar-with-dependencies task is referenced as <descriptor> child element:

<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
<version>2.2-beta-3-SNAPSHOT</version>
<configuration>

<descriptors>
<descriptor>/assembly-descriptor.xml</descriptor>
</descriptors>
<archive>
<manifest>
<addClasspath>false</addClasspath>
<mainClass>
com.voyager.VCATApplication
</mainClass>
</manifest>
<manifestEntries>
<mode>development</mode>
<SplashScreen-Image>
vcat-splash.jpg
</SplashScreen-Image>
</manifestEntries>
</archive>
</configuration>
</plugin>

I then create the assembly descriptor file, placing it in the root path (/vcat) alongside the pom.xml.  As long as you provide the correct path in the <descriptor> element, the plugin will find the descriptor file and use the settings defined in it.  Since i wanted to exclude certain files in the final jar, i have to use the <directory> element to define the directory in which my <fileSet> will be valid.  In this case, the files i want to exclude reside in the target/classes directory, and i want to exclude specifically certain some .properties files, which i name explicitly using the <exclude> element, and then all .sql, .csv files using wildcard characters. Note that this syntax will exclude the files defined in the /target/classes file from being output to the root path of the jar, which is what i want - i explicitly tell this to the plugin using the <outputDirectory> element with the root path (/) as the argument.

<assembly>
<id>jar-with-dependencies</id>
<formats>
<format>jar</format>
</formats>
<includeBaseDirectory>false</includeBaseDirectory>
<fileSets>
<fileSet>
<directory>/target/classes</directory>
<outputDirectory>/</outputDirectory>
<excludes>
<exclude>encryptable.properties</exclude>
<exclude>hibernate.properties</exclude>
<exclude>hibernate.cfg.xml</exclude>
<exclude>market-data-securities.properties</exclude>
<exclude>*.csv</exclude>
<exclude>*.sql</exclude>
</excludes>
</fileSet>
</fileSets>
<dependencySets>
<dependencySet>
<outputDirectory>/</outputDirectory>
<unpack>true</unpack>
<scope>runtime</scope>
</dependencySet>
</dependencySets>
</assembly>

I’ve also installed the Rinzo XML editor, which has great auto-completion assist for DTD, but i was unable to see the same capability using a schema, when i switched my Spring configuration over from DTD to XSD

Hear that the Web Tools Platform’s XML editor is the shizzle…

org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException:
Error creating bean with name...nested exception is
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Original must not be null

so, this post in the Spring forum describes the issue when using “fluent interface”, which is not supported by the JavaBean spec. I was getting the problem because i was missing a setter. Lesson: always make sure your properties have their setter/getters, otherwise Spring will toss this exception en route to wiring your beans…

public class ViewCalculationMap {
	LinkedHashMap<ViewProperty,Calculation<TabularViewModel>> calculations;
	public ViewCalculationMap(){}
...
}
public enum ViewProperty {
	Sector("Sector"),
	Weighting("Weighting"),
	Amount("Amount"),
	Return("Expected Return"),
	Appreciation("Capital Appreciation"),
	AfterTax("After Tax"),
	CategoryWeighting("Category Weighting");

	String description;
	ViewProperty(String description){
		this.description = description;
	}

	public String toString(){
		return this.description;
	}
}

<bean id="viewCalculationsMap" class="com.voyager.util.ViewCalculationMap">
		<property name="calculations">
			<map>
				<entry key="Weighting" value-ref="calcSectorWeighting"/>
				<entry key="Amount" value-ref="calcAmount"/>
				<entry key="Return" value-ref="calcExpectedReturn"/>
				<entry key="Appreciation" value-ref="calcCapitalAppreciation"/>
				<entry key="AfterTax" value-ref="calcAfterTax"/>
				<entry key="CategoryWeighting" value-ref="calcCategoryWeighting"/>
			</map>
		</property>
	</bean>

<util:list id="securityAssetCategories" list-class="java.util.ArrayList">
		<util:constant static-field="com.voyager.model.AssetCategory.Cash"/>
		<util:constant static-field="com.voyager.model.AssetCategory.FixedIncome"/>
		<util:constant static-field="com.voyager.model.AssetCategory.HedgeFund"/>
	</util:list>

• This guy knows about different data feeds and supporting them
• Gissing seems to have data feed handlers for BBG, but it looks like their system is way too powerful? - you have to use their ConteX product
  • ConteX Supported Handlers
• Interactive Brokers offers the IBGateway for FIX CTCI connections to IB over the Internet
  • see [1]
  • They also make the Java Trader Workstation
  • Fees for real-time streaming market data here
  • List of Exchanges
• seems like opentick is a cheap, open-source means of getting
  • Level 1, Level 2, OPRA, AMEX, NYSE, etc