How to Inject List Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

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Introduction

In Spring Framework, configuring ordered collection values like java.util.List is a standard practice when developing enterprise applications. When you need to inject a list of literal values—such as a series of names, configurations, or codes—Spring provides the dedicated <list> and <value> XML elements to wire them effortlessly via setter-based dependency injection.

Why Inject a List Collection in Spring?

• Preserves Element Order: Unlike sets, a List preserves the exact insertion order of the configured elements.
• Supports Duplicates: If your business logic permits repeated values, List retains all items seamlessly.
• Declarative Configuration: By defining collection items directly inside XML configuration, you avoid hardcoding data structures inside Java classes.

Step-by-Step Code Example

Here is an example showing how to inject a List<String> into a Customer bean using setter injection:

1. The Java Model Class

package com.ram.model;

import java.util.List;

public class Customer {
    private String name;
    private List<String> lists;

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    // Setter method for List injection
    public void setLists(List<String> lists) {
        this.lists = lists;
    }

    public void display() {
        System.out.println("Customer Name: " + name);
        System.out.println("Lists: " + lists);
    }
}

2. Configuring applicationContext.xml

Inside the <property> tag, declare the <list> and specify individual items using <value>:

<bean id="customer" class="com.ram.model.Customer">
    <property name="name" value="Ram" />
    <property name="lists">
        <list>
            <value>India</value>
            <value>USA</value>
            <value>UK</value>
            <value>Japan</value>
        </list>
    </property>
</bean>

3. Loading and Executing with ApplicationContext

ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("applicationContext.xml");

Customer customer = (Customer) context.getBean("customer");
customer.display();

Key Takeaway

Using the <list> element with nested <value> tags allows Spring to populate and inject a standard java.util.List directly into your bean via setter dependency injection, keeping your property declarations clear and maintainable.

Recommended Collection & Dependency Injection Tutorials from Ram N Java

• How to Inject List having Dependent Object using Spring dependency injection by Setter method?
• How to Inject Set Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial
• How to Inject Map using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

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How to Inject List Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

How to Inject List Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

How to Inject List Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

How to Inject List Collection using Spring dependency injection by Setter method? | Spring Tutorial

pom.xml

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0%20http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>com.ram.core</groupId>
    <artifactId>SpringDemo</artifactId>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <name>SpringDemo</name>
    <url>http://maven.apache.org</url>

    <properties>
        <spring.version>5.0.2.RELEASE</spring.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>junit</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
            <version>3.8.1</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Spring 5 dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-core</artifactId>
            <version>${spring.version}</version>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-context</artifactId>
            <version>${spring.version}</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

FruitShop.java

package com.ram.core;

import java.util.List;

public class FruitShop
{
    private String shopName;
    private List<String> listOfAvailableFruits;

    public String getShopName()
    {
        return shopName;
    }

    public void setShopName(String shopName)
    {
        System.out.println("setShopName(String shopName) is "
                + "called by the Spring Container");
        this.shopName = shopName;
    }

    public List<String> getListOfAvailableFruits()
    {
        return listOfAvailableFruits;
    }

    public void setListOfAvailableFruits(List<String> listOfAvailableFruits)
    {
        System.out.println(
                "setListOfAvailableFruits(List<String> listOfAvailableFruits) is "
                        + "called by the Spring Container");
        this.listOfAvailableFruits = listOfAvailableFruits;
    }

    public void displayFruitShopInfo()
    {
        System.out.println("FruitShop [shopName=" + shopName
                + ", listOfAvailableFruits=" + listOfAvailableFruits + "]");
    }

}

applicationContext.xml

<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-4.3.xsd">

    <bean id="fruitShop" class="com.ram.core.FruitShop">
       
        <property name="shopName" value="Fruit Mart"></property>
        <property name="listOfAvailableFruits">
            <list>
                <value>apple</value>
                <value>pineapple</value>
                <value>orange</value>
            </list>
        </property>

    </bean>

</beans>

App.java

package com.ram.core;

import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;

public class App
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
                "applicationContext.xml");

        System.out.println("---------------------------------------");

        FruitShop fruitShop = (FruitShop) context.getBean("fruitShop");
        System.out.println(
                "Got fruitShop object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)");
        fruitShop.displayFruitShopInfo();

    }

}

Output

May 11, 2018 9:24:44 AM org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext prepareRefresh
INFO: Refreshing org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@5b37e0d2: startup date [Fri May 11 09:24:44 IST 2018]; root of context hierarchy
May 11, 2018 9:24:44 AM org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader loadBeanDefinitions
INFO: Loading XML bean definitions from class path resource [applicationContext.xml]
setShopName(String shopName) is called by the Spring Container
setListOfAvailableFruits(List<String> listOfAvailableFruits) is called by the Spring Container
---------------------------------------
Got fruitShop object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)
FruitShop [shopName=Fruit Mart, listOfAvailableFruits=[apple, pineapple, orange]]