This Gradle plugin streamlines running and deploying Java web applications on Apache Tomcat directly from the build. It wires common development workflows—starting an embedded container, serving an exploded webapp, or running a WAR—into familiar Gradle tasks. Configuration options let you set context paths, ports, and container versions, and tune features like reloading to shorten the edit-refresh loop. Because it integrates with Gradle’s war and dependency management, your servlet/JSP app can be built and exercised without installing Tomcat separately. Teams often use it to spin up local environments that mirror production packaging while keeping feedback fast. It reduces boilerplate scripts, centralizes environment settings in build.gradle, and makes Tomcat-based projects friendlier to new contributors.
Features
- Supports embedded Tomcat versions 6.x, 7.x, 8.0.x, 8.5.x, and 9.0.x
- Runs container in the same JVM for fast startup during development
- Provides tasks to start and stop Tomcat easily via Gradle DSL
- Includes separate plugin identifiers: tomcat-base and tomcat for staged configuration
- Archived and no longer maintained as of October 12, 2023—EOL with no future fixes
- Recommended to fork and maintain your own copy if continued use is needed