When the Arquillian test runner processes a test class, the first thing it does is retrieve the definition of the Java archive from the @Deployment method, appends the test class to the archive and packages the archive using ShrinkWrap.

The name of the archive is irrelevant, so the base name "test" is typically choosen (e.g., test.jar, test.war). Once you have created the shell of the archive, the sky is really the limit of how you can assemble it. You are customizing the layout and contents of the archive to suit the needs of the test. Essentially, you creating a micro application in which to execute the code under test.

You can add the following artifacts to the test archive:

• Java classes

• A Java package (which adds all the Java classes in the package)

• Classpath resources

• File system resources

• A programmatically-defined file

• Java libraries (JAR files)

• Other Java archives defined by ShrinkWrap

Consult the ShrinkWrap API to discover all the options you have available for constructing the test archive.