DEVOPSdigest

Sonatype announced several enhancements to the Maven experience, making it easier, faster, and safer for developers to use and publish Java applications in their builds.

Maven Central, a repository of Java open source components, has a new, streamlined interface designed to enhance the user experience and empower developers to make better component choices. These enhancements include an improved layout with community-sourced consumption details (such as "Most Popular Namespaces in Last 90 Days”), supercharged search results that include security vulnerability and software quality information, and a simplified login process.

“We’ve evolved and enhanced the Maven Central platform to improve the security of publishing and consumption. The new information this interface provides–fueled by Sonatype’s industry-leading data and proprietary security research–gives developers at-a-glance context for optimal component selection,” said Brian Fox, Co-founder and CTO of Sonatype and long-time steward of Maven Central. “Developers already face an enormous amount of choice and responsibility in their software builds. We’re excited to provide a cleaner, more consistent experience that can help developers deliver safer code faster and reduce technical debt.”

To help with more efficient component selection–the key to delivering safe, high-quality software and mitigating open source risk–Maven Central also has two new integrations that provide deeper component upgrade and open source project insights:

- BOM Doctor: An advanced, market-leading dependency visualization tool that provides component health information and enables users to visualize potential security fixes before installation. Users can also scan their Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) for vulnerabilities or legal issues.

- Sonatype Safety Rating: An aggregate rating designed to estimate the likelihood of an open source project containing security vulnerabilities. Projects are rated on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the safest, based on a variety of metrics, empirical research, and machine learning.

“This is the first round of planned changes to make Maven Central accessible, safe, and as easy-to-use as possible,” Fox added. “Our hope is that these continued enhancements give developers one less thing to worry about in the software development process.”