Nexus platform

Nexus is a repository manager. It allows you to proxy, collect, and manage your dependencies so that you are not constantly juggling a collection of JARs. It makes it easy to distribute your software. Internally, you configure your build to publish artifacts to Nexus and they then become available to other developers. You get the benefits of having your own 'central', and there is no easier way to collaborate.

What is Nexus?

Think of it as a library. You can ask it for "artifacts", it will store and retrieve them and assign a standard coordinate system to the artifacts it stores. If you are developing software, having this facility available allows you to catalog and store your own artifacts using the same "numbering" system that the library uses. When a group develops a new system or a library, they submit it to the repository manager. Other groups then have a standard way to access these libraries. This standard for cataloging and addressing files brings efficiency.

Think about how difficult it would be if books didn't have ISBN numbers, or if libraries didn't have a filing system like the Dewey Decimal system. You wouldn't be able to search for books, you wouldn't be able to quickly locate a book on Amazon. The repository manager is that "library" © Tim OBrian

More reading

“Why Nexus?” for the Non-Programmer

Why Nexus? for the Non-programmer

SonatypeTim OBrien