Spring Cleaning: Tips for Managing XML Clutter

A common complaint about Spring is the vast amount of XML required to configure an application. In this presentation, I'll show you ways to reduce or even eliminate much of the XML required to configure Spring.

A typical Spring configuration file will contain dozens, hundreds, or possibly thousands of lines of XML. Because of all of the XML clutter, some have started looking for alternatives to Spring that don't require so much configuration, even if it means forfeiting all of the other benefits afforded by Spring.

But before you throw the baby out with the bathwater, you should know that there are several ways to simplify Spring configuration so that it isn't so XML-heavy.

In this presentation, I'll show you ways to cut back on Spring configuration while still achieving the same results. I'll discuss a few XML reducing ideas, such as custom configuration namespaces, and I'll also show you some XML-free options such as using Java 5 annotations and scripting languages to configure Spring.

About Craig Walls

Craig Walls has been professionally developing software for over 15 years (and longer than that for the pure geekiness of it). He is a senior engineer with SpringSource and is the author of Modular Java (published by Pragmatic Bookshelf) and Spring in Action and XDoclet in Action (both published by Manning). He's a zealous promoter of the Spring Framework, speaking frequently at local user groups and conferences and writing about Spring and OSGi on his blog. When he's not slinging code, Craig spends as much time as he can with his wife, two daughters, 4 birds and 2 dogs.

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