plugins org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.8.1 or one for its

Maven is a popular build automation tool used primarily for Java projects. It uses a plugin-based architecture to provide various functionalities during the build process. The `maven-compiler-plugin` is one of the core plugins in Maven, responsible for compiling Java source code.

The `org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-compiler-plugin:3.8.1` is a specific version of the `maven-compiler-plugin` that you can use in your Maven project. It provides configuration options for the Java compiler, allowing you to specify the source and target versions of Java, enable or disable certain compiler features, and more.

Here are a few key features and configurations provided by the `maven-compiler-plugin`:

1. Source and target versions: You can specify the version of Java source code your project is written in (`source`) and the version of Java bytecode to be generated (`target`). This allows you to use language features specific to a particular Java version while ensuring compatibility with the target environment.

2. Compiler options: The plugin allows you to configure various compiler options such as encoding, debugging information, and compiler optimizations.

3. Compiler plugin executions: You can define multiple executions of the `maven-compiler-plugin`, each with its own configuration. This is useful when you have different sets of Java source code that need to be compiled with different configurations.

4. Compiler plugin dependencies: The plugin can also manage dependencies required during the compilation process, such as annotation processors or additional libraries.

To use the `maven-compiler-plugin`, you need to include it in your project's `pom.xml` file within the `<build>` section. Here's an example configuration:

<build>
  <plugins>
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
      <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>3.8.1</version>
      <configuration>
        <source>1.8</source>
        <target>1.8</target>
      </configuration>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
</build>

This configuration sets the source and target versions to Java 1.8.