[MNGSITE-418] Clarify transitivity of "provided" depdendencies

**[Elliotte Rusty Harold](https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/ViewProfile.jspa?name=elharo)** opened **[MNGSITE-418](https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/MNGSITE-418?redirect=false)** and commented

Per https://maven.apache.org/guides/introduction/introduction-to-dependency-mechanism.html "This scope is only available on the compilation and test classpath, and is not transitive."

"is not transitive" is ambiguous. For instance, suppose

A --> X_provided
A -> B -> Y_provided -> D

Which dependencies are in the compilation and test classpaths of A? Presumably D is not and X_provided is. However is Y_provided included or not?

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1 votes, 2 watchers

Start with the dependency mechanism guide linked in the issue and trace its explanation of provided scope and transitivity. Clarify the documented behavior for the A/B/X/Y/D example, including which dependencies appear on A's compilation and test classpaths, so the meaning of “not transitive” is unambiguous.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.