What is spring? How does the spring follow the spring configuration?

What is Spring?

Spring is a comprehensive framework for building Java applications, particularly enterprise-level applications. It provides various modules and tools to simplify the development of complex Java applications, such as:

  • Dependency Injection (DI): Spring manages object creation and their dependencies, promoting loose coupling and easier testing.
  • Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP): Allows separation of cross-cutting concerns (e.g., logging, transaction management) from business logic.
  • Transaction Management: Simplifies transaction management in Java applications.
  • MVC Framework: Spring MVC helps in building web applications following the Model-View-Controller pattern.
  • Data Access: Spring simplifies interaction with databases using JDBC, ORM frameworks like Hibernate, and JPA.

❓ How Does Spring Follow Spring Configuration?

Spring provides different ways to configure the application, which can be combined or used separately based on the needs of the project:

1. XML-Based Configuration:

  • The traditional way of configuring Spring applications.
  • Beans, dependencies, and other configurations are defined in XML files (e.g., applicationContext.xml).
  • Example:
     <bean id="myBean" class="com.example.MyClass">
         <property name="propertyName" value="propertyValue" />
     </bean>

2. Java-Based Configuration:

  • Uses annotations and Java classes to define beans and their dependencies.
  • @Configuration and @Bean annotations are commonly used.
  • Example:
     @Configuration
     public class AppConfig {

 @Bean
 public MyClass myBean() {
     return new MyClass();
 }

}


3. Annotation-Based Configuration:

  • Spring provides annotations like @Component, @Service, @Repository, and @Controller to automatically detect and register beans.
  • @Autowired is used for dependency injection.
  • Example:
     @Component
     public class MyComponent {
         @Autowired
         private MyDependency dependency;
     }