Can you explain what is meant by 'Building' in the software development process?

In the context of software development, the term "Building" refers to the process of converting source code and project resources into an executable file or package that is ready to run or deploy further. In Java, this typically involves compiling .java files into bytecode (.class), linking dependencies, and packaging into JAR or WAR archives.

An example of a build process in Java using Maven:

<build>
  <plugins>
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
      <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>3.8.1</version>
      <configuration>
        <source>11</source>
        <target>11</target>
      </configuration>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
</build>

Thus, building is an automated process that transforms source code into a ready-to-use application.