What problem does it solve? Build files are production configuration, yet dependency and plugin decisions are often made ad hoc, leading to duplicated libraries, unpinned versions, broken annotation processing, and silent Spring Boot 4 wiring failures. This Skill provides disciplined rules for every build and dependency decision in Java 21+ Spring Boot projects. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Dependency governance: A five-question justification gate for every dependency, BOM-based version management, correct scoping, and a safe audit-and-removal procedure with a false-positive list covering drivers, migration tools, and auto-configuration starters. - Build configuration: Maven and Gradle references covering compiler settings, order-sensitive annotation processor paths (Lombok, MapStruct, Hibernate metamodel), test-phase separation with Surefire/Failsafe or JVM test suites, and quality gates via Checkstyle and Spotless with committed config assets. - Spring Boot 3 vs 4 catalogue: A generation-differences reference mapping renamed starters, relocated annotations, and renamed configuration properties, plus explicit verification steps for silent Spring Boot 4 modularization defects. - Use Case: When adding a new library to a Spring Boot 4 project, the Skill checks the justification gate, selects the correct generation-specific starter coordinate, declares it without a version if BOM-managed, and verifies wiring by observing runtime behavior. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to audit the project's pom.xml or build.gradle for unnecessary dependencies and unpinned plugin versions using the build-and-dependencies skill.
