Bean reference example using spring expression language(XML) | Spring Tutorial

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Overview: Bean References in SpEL via XML

The Spring Expression Language (SpEL) allows you to reference other managed Spring beans and access their properties directly inside your XML configuration files. Instead of using standard property references that inject entire objects, SpEL allows you to extract specific values or call methods on another bean and inject only the desired result into your target bean properties.

In this guide, you will learn how to configure bean references and access nested bean properties using XML-based configuration.

Understanding Bean Reference Syntax in XML

SpEL makes bean wiring flexible and dynamic directly in your XML definitions:

• Referencing Another Bean: Directly target a defined bean by its ID within the expression: value="#{addressBean}".
• Accessing Nested Properties: Drill into specific bean properties using simple dot notation: value="#{addressBean.city}".
• Invoking Bean Methods: Call methods on the referenced bean dynamically: value="#{addressBean.getFullAddress()}".
• Declarative Wiring: Avoid unnecessary dependencies in your Java classes by injecting only the extracted values your bean actually needs.

Configuring Bean References in XML

To configure bean references inside your Spring XML definition file:

1. Define the Source Bean: Declare the source bean with its ID and properties in your XML configuration.
2. Reference via SpEL: In your target bean definition, set the value attribute using #{...} pointing to the source bean:
   <property name="cityName" value="#{addressBean.city}" />
3. Container Resolution: When Spring initializes the application context, it resolves the expression and populates the property with the extracted bean value.

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Bean reference example using spring expression language(XML) | Spring Tutorial

Bean reference example using spring expression language(XML) | 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>5.0.5.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>

Address.java

package com.ram.model;

public class Address
{
    private String street;

    private String city;

    private String state;

    public String getStreet()
    {
        return street;
    }

    public void setStreet(String street)
    {
        this.street = street;
    }

    public String getCity()
    {
        return city;
    }

    public void setCity(String city)
    {
        this.city = city;
    }

    public String getState()
    {
        return state;
    }

    public void setState(String state)
    {
        this.state = state;
    }

    public String getFullAddress()
    {
        return street + "," + city + "," + state;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Address [street=" + street + ", city=" + city + ", state="
                + state + "]";
    }

}

Employee.java

package com.ram.model;

public class Employee
{
    private int id;

    private String name;

    private Address address;

    private String employeeState;

    private String fullAddress;

    public int getId()
    {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(int id)
    {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getName()
    {
        return name;
    }

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

    public Address getAddress()
    {
        return address;
    }

    public void setAddress(Address address)
    {
        this.address = address;
    }

    public String getEmployeeState()
    {
        return employeeState;
    }

    public void setEmployeeState(String employeeState)
    {
        this.employeeState = employeeState;
    }

    public String getFullAddress()
    {
        return fullAddress;
    }

    public void setFullAddress(String fullAddress)
    {
        this.fullAddress = fullAddress;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Employee [id=" + id + ", name=" + name + ", employeeState="
                + employeeState + ", fullAddress=" + fullAddress + ", address="
                + address + "]";
    }

}

applicationContext.xml

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

    <bean id="address" class="com.ram.model.Address">
        <property name="street" value="A220 Bridge Appartment"></property>
        <property name="city" value="Chennai"></property>
        <property name="state" value="TamilNadu"></property>
    </bean>


    <bean id="employee" class="com.ram.model.Employee">
        <property name="id" value="100"></property>
        <property name="name" value="Peter"></property>
        <property name="address" value="#{address}"></property>
        <property name="employeeState" value="#{address.state}"></property>
        <property name="fullAddress" value="#{address.getFullAddress()}"></property>
   
    </bean>
</beans>

App.java

package com.ram.core;

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

import com.ram.model.Employee;

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

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

        Employee employee = (Employee) context.getBean("employee");
        System.out.println(
                "Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)");
        System.out.println(employee);
    }

}

Output

Sep 01, 2018 8:07:16 AM org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext prepareRefresh
INFO: Refreshing org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@736e9adb: startup date [Sat Sep 01 08:07:16 IST 2018]; root of context hierarchy
Sep 01, 2018 8:07:16 AM org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader loadBeanDefinitions
INFO: Loading XML bean definitions from class path resource [applicationContext.xml]
---------------------------------------
Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)
Employee [id=100, name=Peter, employeeState=TamilNadu, fullAddress=A220 Bridge Appartment,Chennai,TamilNadu, address=Address [street=A220 Bridge Appartment, city=Chennai, state=TamilNadu]]

Click the below link to download the code:
https://sites.google.com/site/ramj2eev2/java_basics/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Bean_Ref.rar?attredirects=0&d=1

Github Link:
https://github.com/ramram43210/javaee/tree/master/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Bean_Ref

Bitbucket Link:
https://bitbucket.org/ramram43210/spring/src/02e04aa1b68a77d4f5a01ebf111e80370bd99ca8/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Bean_Ref/?at=master

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How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(Annotation) | Spring Tutorial

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Overview: Dependency Injection with SpEL Annotations

In Spring applications, Dependency Injection (DI) is traditionally performed using annotations like @Autowired or XML property wirings. However, the Spring Expression Language (SpEL) paired with the @Value annotation provides a dynamic, expressive alternative to inject bean instances, literal values, or computed configurations directly into your components.

In this guide, you will learn how to implement Dependency Injection using SpEL and annotation-based configuration in Spring.

How SpEL-Based Dependency Injection Works

SpEL expressions allow you to wire dependencies with additional flexibility:

• Injecting Bean Dependencies: Wire an entire target bean directly into a reference field: @Value("#{itemBean}").
• Dynamic Bean Resolution: Resolve dependencies dynamically by name or conditional logic during container startup.
• Combining Values and Objects: Inject both primitive configuration values and complex object references using the unified @Value syntax.
• Loose Coupling: Decouple dependency resolution logic from class constructors and setters.

Step-by-Step Configuration

1. Define the Dependency Bean: Create the component to be injected and annotate it with @Component("beanId").
2. Annotate the Target Field: In the dependent class, annotate the target field with @Value("#{beanId}").
3. Run the Container: When Spring starts up, it resolves the expression within the ApplicationContext and injects the dependency bean automatically.

Recommended Next Videos from Ram N Java

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---

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kkmF7RGrtY&list=UUhwKlOVR041tngjerWxVccw

Click the below Image to Enlarge:

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(Annotation) | Spring Tutorial

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(Annotation) | Spring Tutorial

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(Annotation) | 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>5.0.5.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>

Address.java

package com.ram.model;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

@Component("address")
public class Address
{
    @Value("Chennai") //inject String directly
    private String city;
   
    @Value("TamilNadu")
    private String state;

    public String getCity()
    {
        return city;
    }

    public void setCity(String city)
    {
        this.city = city;
    }

    public String getState()
    {
        return state;
    }

    public void setState(String state)
    {
        this.state = state;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Address [city=" + city + ", state=" + state + "]";
    }

}

Employee.java

package com.ram.model;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

@Component("employee")
public class Employee
{
    @Value("100") //inject int directly
    private int id;
   
    @Value("Peter")
    private String name;
   
    @Value("#{address.state}")
    private String employeeState;
   
    @Value("#{address}")
    private Address address;

    public int getId()
    {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(int id)
    {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getName()
    {
        return name;
    }

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

    public String getEmployeeState()
    {
        return employeeState;
    }

    public void setEmployeeState(String employeeState)
    {
        this.employeeState = employeeState;
    }

    public Address getAddress()
    {
        return address;
    }

    public void setAddress(Address address)
    {
        this.address = address;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Employee [id=" + id + ", name=" + name + ", employeeState="
                + employeeState + ", address=" + address + "]";
    }

}

applicationContext.xml

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

    <context:component-scan base-package="com.ram" />

</beans>

App.java

package com.ram.core;

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

import com.ram.model.Employee;

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

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

        Employee employee = (Employee) context.getBean("employee");
        System.out.println(
                "Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)");
        System.out.println(employee);  
    }

}

Output

Aug 31, 2018 10:42:19 AM org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext prepareRefresh
INFO: Refreshing org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@736e9adb: startup date [Fri Aug 31 10:42:19 IST 2018]; root of context hierarchy
Aug 31, 2018 10:42:19 AM org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader loadBeanDefinitions
INFO: Loading XML bean definitions from class path resource [applicationContext.xml]
---------------------------------------
Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)
Employee [id=100, name=Peter, employeeState=TamilNadu, address=Address [city=Chennai, state=TamilNadu]]

Click the below link to download the code:
https://sites.google.com/site/ramj2eev2/java_basics/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Annotation.zip?attredirects=0&d=1

Github Link:
https://github.com/ramram43210/javaee/tree/master/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Annotation

Bitbucket Link:
https://bitbucket.org/ramram43210/spring/src/02e04aa1b68a77d4f5a01ebf111e80370bd99ca8/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_Annotation/?at=master

See also:

All JavaEE Videos Playlist

All JavaEE Videos

All JAVA EE Links

Spring Tutorial

Servlets Tutorial

All Design Patterns Links

JDBC Tutorial

Java Collection Framework Tutorial

JAVA Tutorial

Kids Tutorial

Cooking Tutorial

Spring Expression Language SpEL | Spring Tutorial | Spring Framework | Spring basics - Playlist

Click here to watch on Youtube: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuNFQXj20dM&list=PLmCsXDGbJHdjcbrTz4myShv49zew0Umtg

See also:

All JavaEE Videos Playlist

All JavaEE Videos

All JAVA EE Links

Spring Tutorial

Servlets Tutorial

All Design Patterns Links

JDBC Tutorial

Java Collection Framework Tutorial

JAVA Tutorial

Kids Tutorial

Cooking Tutorial

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(XML) | Spring Tutorial

Master Spring & Java Development!

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Overview: Dependency Injection with SpEL via XML

In Spring applications, Dependency Injection (DI) in XML is commonly achieved using the ref attribute. However, the Spring Expression Language (SpEL) provides an expressive, flexible alternative by allowing you to inject bean references and dependencies directly inside the value attribute using expression evaluation.

In this guide, you will learn how to perform Dependency Injection using SpEL within an XML-based configuration.

How SpEL-Based Dependency Injection Works in XML

SpEL expressions allow you to wire beans and properties dynamically during container startup:

• Injecting Bean Dependencies: Wire a dependency bean reference directly using the value attribute: <property name="item" value="#{itemBean}" />.
• Flexible Bean Wiring: Inject bean references or extracted properties using a unified expression syntax.
• Dynamic Evaluation: Resolve target beans and their dependencies dynamically at runtime during ApplicationContext initialization.
• Clear Declarative Setup: Maintain readable and flexible configuration files without altering your Java source code.

Step-by-Step XML Configuration

1. Define the Dependency Bean: Declare the source bean in your XML file with an id and its respective properties.
2. Configure the Dependent Bean: In the dependent bean definition, use the <property> tag and supply the SpEL expression referencing the dependency bean:
   <property name="address" value="#{addressBean}" />
3. Container Initialization: When the ApplicationContext loads, Spring resolves the expression and injects the dependency bean automatically.

Recommended Next Videos from Ram N Java

• 👉 How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(Annotation) | Spring Tutorial
• 👉 Mastering Bean References with Spring Expression Language (XML) | Spring Tutorial
• 👉 Spring expression language method invocation (XML) | Spring Tutorial | Spring Framework

---

Click here to watch on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuNFQXj20dM&list=UUhwKlOVR041tngjerWxVccw

Click the below Image to Enlarge:

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(XML) | Spring Tutorial

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(XML) | Spring Tutorial

How to do Dependency Injection using Spring Expression Language SpEL(XML) | 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>5.0.5.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>

Address.java

package com.ram.model;

public class Address
{
    private String city;
    private String state;

    public String getCity()
    {
        return city;
    }

    public void setCity(String city)
    {
        this.city = city;
    }

    public String getState()
    {
        return state;
    }

    public void setState(String state)
    {
        this.state = state;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Address [city=" + city + ", state=" + state + "]";
    }

}

Employee.java

package com.ram.model;

public class Employee
{
    private int id;
    private String name;
    private String employeeState;
    private Address address;

    public int getId()
    {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(int id)
    {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getName()
    {
        return name;
    }

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

    public String getEmployeeState()
    {
        return employeeState;
    }

    public void setEmployeeState(String employeeState)
    {
        this.employeeState = employeeState;
    }

    public Address getAddress()
    {
        return address;
    }

    public void setAddress(Address address)
    {
        this.address = address;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString()
    {
        return "Employee [id=" + id + ", name=" + name + ", employeeState="
                + employeeState + ", address=" + address + "]";
    }

}

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="address" class="com.ram.model.Address">
        <property name="city" value="Chennai"></property>
        <property name="state" value="TamilNadu"></property>
    </bean>


    <bean id="employee" class="com.ram.model.Employee">
        <property name="id" value="100"></property>
        <property name="name" value="Peter"></property>
        <property name="address" value="#{address}"></property>
        <property name="employeeState" value="#{address.state}"></property>
       
    </bean>

</beans>

App.java

package com.ram.core;

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

import com.ram.model.Employee;

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

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

        Employee employee = (Employee) context.getBean("employee");
        System.out.println(
                "Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)");
        System.out.println(employee);  
    }

}

Output

Aug 30, 2018 11:14:01 AM org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext prepareRefresh
INFO: Refreshing org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext@736e9adb: startup date [Thu Aug 30 11:14:01 IST 2018]; root of context hierarchy
Aug 30, 2018 11:14:02 AM org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader loadBeanDefinitions
INFO: Loading XML bean definitions from class path resource [applicationContext.xml]
---------------------------------------
Got employee object from the ApplicationContext(Spring Container)
Employee [id=100, name=Peter, employeeState=TamilNadu, address=Address [city=Chennai, state=TamilNadu]]

Click the below link to download the code:
https://sites.google.com/site/ramj2eev2/java_basics/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_XML.zip?attredirects=0&d=1

Github Link:
https://github.com/ramram43210/javaee/tree/master/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_XML

Bitbucket Link:
https://bitbucket.org/ramram43210/spring/src/02e04aa1b68a77d4f5a01ebf111e80370bd99ca8/Spring_2018/SpringDemo_Spring_EL_XML/?at=master

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