I have a project whereby I'm trying to create a distribution zip file, which contains (amongst other files) an executable jar with dependencies of my java project.

So I sort of want it to look like this:

-wiki-search-1.0.0-dist.zip
    -wiki-search.bat
    -wiki-search-help.html
    -wiki-search-1.0.0-jar-with-dependencies.jar
        -jar content...

I'm using the assembly plugin, and the predefined descriptor "jar-with-dependencies" to create my executable jar file.

I'm specifying a separate assembly plugin entry in my pom, referencing a custom descriptor to try and build the distributable zip file.

So the part of my pom looks like this:

<plugin>
 <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
 <configuration>
  <descriptorRefs>
   <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
  </descriptorRefs>
  <archive>
   <manifest>
    <mainClass>quicksearch.QuickSearchApp</mainClass>
   </manifest>
  </archive>
 </configuration>
 <executions>
  <execution>
   <id>make-assembly</id>
   <phase>package</phase>
   <goals>
    <goal>attached</goal>
   </goals>
  </execution>
 </executions>
</plugin>
<plugin>
 <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
 <configuration>
  <descriptors>
   <descriptor>src/main/assembly/dist.xml</descriptor>
  </descriptors>
 </configuration>
 <executions>
  <execution>
   <id>make-assembly</id>
   <phase>package</phase>
   <goals>
    <goal>attached</goal>
   </goals>
  </execution>
 </executions>
</plugin>

And my custom descriptor looks like this:

<assembly>
  <id>dist</id>
  <formats>
    <format>tar.gz
Edit
Report