Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMailMojo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMailMojo.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMailMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
      * @parameter expression="${project.build.directory}/announcement"
      * @required
      */
-    private String templateOutputDirectory;
+    private File templateOutputDirectory;
 
     /**
      * The Velocity template used to format the announcement.
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
     public void execute()
         throws MojoExecutionException
     {
-        template = templateOutputDirectory + "/" + template;
+        File templateFile = new File( templateOutputDirectory, template );
 
         ConsoleLogger logger = new ConsoleLogger( 0, "base" );
 
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
             getLog().debug( "fromDeveloperId: " + getFromDeveloperId() );
         }
 
-        if ( isTextFileExisting( template ) )
+        if ( templateFile.isFile() )
         {
             getLog().info( "Connecting to Host: " + getSmtpHost() + ":" + getSmtpPort() );
 
@@ -194,23 +194,7 @@
         }
         else
         {
-            if ( template != null )
-            {
-                if ( isTextFileExisting( template ) )
-                {
-                    getLog().info( "Connecting to Host: " + getSmtpHost() + " : " + getSmtpPort() );
-
-                    sendMessage();
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    throw new MojoExecutionException( "Announcement template " + template + " not found..." );
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                throw new MojoExecutionException( "Announcement template " + template + " not found..." );
-            }
+            throw new MojoExecutionException( "Announcement template " + templateFile + " not found..." );
         }
     }
 
@@ -222,6 +206,7 @@
     protected void sendMessage()
         throws MojoExecutionException
     {
+        File templateFile = new File( templateOutputDirectory, template );
         String email = "";
         final MailSender ms = getActualMailSender();
         final String fromName = ms.getName();
@@ -238,7 +223,7 @@
             {
                 email = it.next().toString();
                 getLog().info( "Sending mail to " + email + "..." );
-                mailer.send( getSubject(), IOUtil.toString( readAnnouncement( template ) ), email, "", fromAddress,
+                mailer.send( getSubject(), IOUtil.toString( readAnnouncement( templateFile ) ), email, "", fromAddress,
                              fromName );
                 getLog().info( "Sent..." );
             }
@@ -253,38 +238,24 @@
         }
     }
 
-    protected boolean isTextFileExisting( String fileName )
-    {
-        boolean found = false;
-
-        File f = new File( fileName );
-
-        if ( f.exists() )
-        {
-            found = true;
-        }
-        return found;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Read the announcement generated file.
      *
-     * @param fileName the filename to be read
+     * @param file the filename to be read
      * @return fileReader Return the FileReader
      * @throws MojoExecutionException if the file could not be found
      */
-    protected FileReader readAnnouncement( String fileName )
+    protected FileReader readAnnouncement( File file )
         throws MojoExecutionException
     {
         FileReader fileReader;
         try
         {
-            File file = new File( fileName );
             fileReader = new FileReader( file );
         }
         catch ( FileNotFoundException fnfe )
         {
-            throw new MojoExecutionException( "File not found. " + fileName );
+            throw new MojoExecutionException( "File not found. " + file );
         }
         return fileReader;
     }
@@ -451,12 +422,12 @@
         this.mailSender = mailSender;
     }
 
-    public String getTemplateOutputDirectory()
+    public File getTemplateOutputDirectory()
     {
         return templateOutputDirectory;
     }
 
-    public void setTemplateOutputDirectory( String templateOutputDirectory )
+    public void setTemplateOutputDirectory( File templateOutputDirectory )
     {
         this.templateOutputDirectory = templateOutputDirectory;
     }
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMojo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMojo.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/announcement/AnnouncementMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
      * @parameter expression="${project.build.directory}/announcement"
      * @required
      */
-    private String outputDirectory;
+    private File outputDirectory;
 
     /**
      * @parameter expression="${project.groupId}"
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
      * @parameter expression="${basedir}/src/changes/changes.xml"
      * @required
      */
-    private String xmlPath;
+    private File xmlPath;
 
     /**
      * Name of the team that develops the artifact.
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@
      * @required
      * @readonly
      */
-    private String jiraXML;
+    private File jiraXML;
 
     /**
      * The maximum number of issues to include.
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@
      * @param template velocity template which will the context be merged
      * @throws ResourceNotFoundException, VelocityException, IOException
      */
-    public void processTemplate( Context context, String outputDirectory, String template )
+    public void processTemplate( Context context, File outputDirectory, String template )
         throws ResourceNotFoundException, VelocityException, MojoExecutionException
     {
         File f;
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@
     {
         JiraDownloader jiraDownloader = new JiraDownloader();
 
-        File jiraXMLFile = new File( jiraXML );
+        File jiraXMLFile = jiraXML;
 
         jiraDownloader.setLog( getLog() );
 
@@ -515,22 +515,22 @@
      * accessors
      */
 
-    public String getXmlPath()
+    public File getXmlPath()
     {
         return xmlPath;
     }
 
-    public void setXmlPath( String xmlPath )
+    public void setXmlPath( File xmlPath )
     {
         this.xmlPath = xmlPath;
     }
 
-    public String getOutputDirectory()
+    public File getOutputDirectory()
     {
         return outputDirectory;
     }
 
-    public void setOutputDirectory( String outputDirectory )
+    public void setOutputDirectory( File outputDirectory )
     {
         this.outputDirectory = outputDirectory;
     }
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesMojo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesMojo.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
      * @required
      * @readonly
      */
-    private String outputDirectory;
+    private File outputDirectory;
 
     /**
      * @parameter expression="${component.org.apache.maven.doxia.siterenderer.Renderer}"
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
      * @parameter expression="${basedir}/src/changes/changes.xml"
      * @required
      */
-    private String xmlPath;
+    private File xmlPath;
 
     /**
      * Template string that is used to discover the URL to use to display an issue report.
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@
 
     public boolean canGenerateReport()
     {
-        File xmlFile = new File( xmlPath );
-        return xmlFile.exists();
+        return xmlPath.isFile();
     }
 
     private void copyStaticResources()
@@ -171,7 +170,7 @@
 
     protected String getOutputDirectory()
     {
-        return outputDirectory;
+        return outputDirectory.getAbsolutePath();
     }
 
     private ResourceBundle getBundle( Locale locale )
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesReportGenerator.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesReportGenerator.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesReportGenerator.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
+import java.io.File;
+
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@
     {
     }
 
-    public ChangesReportGenerator( String xmlPath, Log log )
+    public ChangesReportGenerator( File xmlPath, Log log )
     {
         report = new ChangesXML( xmlPath, log );
     }
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesXML.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesXML.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/changes/ChangesXML.java	(working copy)
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 
     private String title;
 
-    public ChangesXML( String xmlPath, Log log )
+    public ChangesXML( File xmlPath, Log log )
     {
         SAXParserFactory factory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
         {
             SAXParser saxParser = factory.newSAXParser();
 
-            saxParser.parse( new File( xmlPath ), this );
+            saxParser.parse( xmlPath, this );
         }
         catch ( Throwable t )
         {
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraMojo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraMojo.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
      * @required
      * @readonly
      */
-    private String outputDirectory;
+    private File outputDirectory;
 
     /**
      * Path to the JIRA XML file, which will be parsed.
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
      * @required
      * @readonly
      */
-    private String jiraXmlPath;
+    private File jiraXmlPath;
 
     /**
      * Doxia Site Renderer.
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
         {
             jiraDownloader.doExecute();
 
-            if ( new File( jiraXmlPath ).exists() )
+            if ( jiraXmlPath.isFile() )
             {
                 report = new JiraReportGenerator( jiraXmlPath, columnNames );
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@
 
     protected String getOutputDirectory()
     {
-        return outputDirectory;
+        return outputDirectory.getAbsolutePath();
     }
 
     private ResourceBundle getBundle( Locale locale )
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@
 
         jira.setMavenProject( project );
 
-        jira.setOutput( new File( jiraXmlPath ) );
+        jira.setOutput( jiraXmlPath );
 
         jira.setNbEntries( maxEntries );
 
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraReportGenerator.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraReportGenerator.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraReportGenerator.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
+import java.io.File;
+
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@
 
     }
 
-    public JiraReportGenerator( String xmlPath, String columnNames )
+    public JiraReportGenerator( File xmlPath, String columnNames )
         throws MavenReportException
     {
         jira = new JiraXML( xmlPath );
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraXML.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraXML.java	(revision 614320)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/jira/JiraXML.java	(working copy)
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 
     private JiraIssue issue;
 
-    public JiraXML( String xmlPath )
+    public JiraXML( File xmlPath )
     {
         SAXParserFactory factory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
         {
             SAXParser saxParser = factory.newSAXParser();
 
-            saxParser.parse( new File( xmlPath ), this );
+            saxParser.parse( xmlPath, this );
         }
         catch ( Throwable t )
         {