The official address of Maven download: Maven – Download Apache Maven
After opening, you will find a total of 4 file descriptions. See the picture below. The black frame selection is the end of [tar.gz], which is the Maven package used by Linux, and the end of [.zip], which is the Maven package used by Windows.
Here we use two examples of Windows:
Binary zip archive: Binary package, relatively less file content, very streamlined. Generally, we use this when configuring Java projects. As you can see in the figure below, this is our common directory.
Source zip archive: source code package, this package is generally used for specific Maven in-depth study and use, let’s take a look at its content:
Very complete content, including all Maven source code content, but generally we don't need this, unless it is for in-depth study.
Maven's "Binary" and "Source" pure theoretical explanation
Maven is a tool for building and managing Java projects. In Maven, "Binary" and "Source" are two commonly used terms to distinguish different types of software packages.
Binary (binary file) is a program file that has been compiled and can be run directly. In Maven, binary files usually exist in the form of JAR (Java Archive), which contains the project's compiled class files, resource files, and other dependencies.
Source (source code) is the original code file of the project. In Maven, the source code usually exists in the form of a source code package (Source Package), which contains all the source code files of the project (such as Java source files, configuration files, etc.). The source code package can be used to view, debug and understand the implementation details of the project.
The difference is that a binary file is an executable that has been compiled, while a source code is the original code file of a project. Binaries are suitable for immediate use and deployment, while source code is suitable for developer modification, debugging and customization.
In Maven, it is often possible to use dependency management to reference binaries or source code from other projects. Binaries are often used as the default form of dependencies because they are easier to use and deploy. However, for cases where modifications or extensions are required, developers may choose to use the source code for custom development.
It should be noted that binaries and source code do not replace each other, but are used in different scenarios.