I am working on a Maven project that consists of Selenium 2 tests integrated with JUnit. These tests are located in the src/main/java source directory and are meant to test a web application external to the project, rather than testing the project itself.
My goal is to run these tests using Maven without them running during the normal build lifecycle. Instead, I want to be able to define specific test phases or goals within the POM file for executing these tests separately.
While I have a basic understanding of how the surefire plugin functions, I am unsure of how to disconnect the test executions from the overall build process. I envision being able to run these tests independently by simply entering a command like 'mvn run-webtests', where 'run-webtests' would trigger a unique phase separate from the standard compile and package goals of the project.
In summary, I have two main questions:
1.) Am I approaching this challenge correctly, or is there a more effective solution?
2.) What steps should I take next to achieve this functionality? Should I create a custom phase or a custom goal?
I apologize for posing what may seem like a basic inquiry, as I have been unable to locate examples of similar implementations.