Maven: add a folder or jar file into current classpath

This might have been asked before. See Can I add jars to maven 2 build classpath without installing them?

In a nutshell: include your jar as dependency with system scope. This requires specifying the absolute path to the jar.

See also http://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-dependency-mechanism.html

From docs and example it is not clear that classpath manipulation is not allowed.

<configuration>
 <compilerArgs>
  <arg>classpath=${basedir}/lib/bad.jar</arg>
 </compilerArgs>
</configuration>

But see Java docs (also https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/courses/629/jdkdocs/tooldocs/solaris/javac.html)

-classpath path Specifies the path javac uses to look up classes needed to run javac or being referenced by other classes you are compiling. Overrides the default or the CLASSPATH environment variable if it is set.

Maybe it is possible to get current classpath and extend it,
see in maven, how output the classpath being used?

    <properties>
      <cpfile>cp.txt</cpfile>
    </properties>

  <plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>2.9</version>
    <executions>
      <execution>
        <id>build-classpath</id>
        <phase>generate-sources</phase>
        <goals>
          <goal>build-classpath</goal>
        </goals>
        <configuration>
          <outputFile>${cpfile}</outputFile>
        </configuration>
      </execution>
    </executions>
  </plugin>

Read file (Read a file into a Maven property)

<plugin>
  <groupId>org.codehaus.gmaven</groupId>
  <artifactId>gmaven-plugin</artifactId>
  <version>1.4</version>
  <executions>
    <execution>
      <phase>generate-resources</phase>
      <goals>
        <goal>execute</goal>
      </goals>
      <configuration>
        <source>
          def file = new File(project.properties.cpfile)
          project.properties.cp = file.getText()
        </source>
      </configuration>
    </execution>
  </executions>
</plugin>

and finally

  <plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>3.6.1</version>
    <configuration>
      <compilerArgs>
         <arg>classpath=${cp}:${basedir}/lib/bad.jar</arg>
      </compilerArgs>
    </configuration>
   </plugin>