java - Maven 2 - define dependency version from transitive dependency version

Question

I'll explain the question with my real situation.

I use logback 1.0.1 for logging, and it includes SLF4J 1.6.4 as a dependency. I also use the SLF4J API bridges for legacy logging API's (java.util.logging, log4j and commons-logging), which are not explicit dependencies. These must also (preferrably) be version 1.6.4.

Trying to make my pom.xml as neat and error-free as possible, I'd like to enforce that these API bridges be the same version as SLF4J. The only way I know is to manually define them as dependencies in my pom.xml using version 1.6.4. If I ever update logback and the required SLF4J version is raised, I'd need to remember to change the bridge API's to the proper version.

Can I somehow hook the legacy API's version to the version of the transitive dependency SLF4J?

Current pom.xml:

    <properties>
    <org.slf4j.version>1.6.4</org.slf4j.version>
</properties>

<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
        <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
        <version>1.0.1</version>
        <!-- requires SLF4J 1.6.4 -->
    </dependency>
    <!-- ... -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
        <artifactId>log4j-over-slf4j</artifactId>
        <version>${org.slf4j.version}</version>
        <!-- here, how to bind this version value to SLF4J's version? -->
        <scope>runtime</scope>
    </dependency>
    <!-- the other two bridge API's go here -->
</dependencies>

Answer 1

Not in a very beautiful way :/

There is the maven enforcer plugin: http://maven.apache.org/enforcer/enforcer-rules/

so you can ban the transitive dependencies and include the version you want: http://maven.apache.org/enforcer/enforcer-rules/bannedDependencies.html

If you use a property for the good version you dont need to mess around in the enforcer plugin version.