How Do applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml Differ in Spring Framework Web Applications?

Understanding the Relationship between applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml in Spring Framework

In Spring Framework, a central aspect is the use of XML configuration files to define and manage application beans and components. Two important files in this context are applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml. While both relate to the configuration of Spring beans, they serve distinct purposes.

1. Connection Between applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml

applicationContext.xml defines the beans for the root web application context, which encompasses the entire web application's shared resources and dependencies. On the other hand, spring-servlet.xml, or its variants, defines bean definitions specific to individual Spring servlets within the application.

2. Sharing of Property Files

Properties files declared in applicationContext.xml are accessible to the DispatcherServlet and its associated servlet application context. This allows developers to share common properties across the entire web application.

3. The Need for *-servlet.xml

Although applicationContext.xml can be used alone in simple applications, a *-servlet.xml file becomes necessary when dealing with multiple Spring servlets. This is because Spring MVC controllers are required to be defined within the servlet-specific application context.

In summary:

• applicationContext.xml defines shared beans for the entire web application.
• spring-servlet.xml defines beans specific to individual Spring servlets.
• Properties defined in applicationContext.xml are shared with the DispatcherServlet context.
• Spring MVC controllers must be declared within spring-servlet.xml.

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