The Spring Framework provides solutions to many technical challenges faced by Java developers and organizations wanting to create applications based on the Java platform. Because of the size and complexity of the functionality offered, it can be hard to distinguish the major building blocks from which the framework is composed. The Spring Framework is not exclusively linked to the Java Enterprise platform, although its far-reaching integration in this area is an important reason for its popularity.
The Spring Framework is probably best known for offering features required to create complex business applications effectively outside of the programming models which have been dominant historically in the industry. Next to that, it is also credited for introducing previously unfamiliar functionalities into today's mainstream development practices, even beyond the Java platform.
This amounts to a framework which offers a consistent model and makes it applicable to most application types created on top of the Java platform.
Modules
The spring Framework can be considered as a collection of smaller frameworks. Most of these frameworks are designed to work independently of each other yet provide better functionalities when used together. These frameworks are divided along the building blocks of typical complex applications:
*Inversion of Control container: configuration of application components and lifecycle management of Java objects.
* Aspect-oriented programming framework: working with functionalities which cannot be implemented with Java's object-oriented programming capabilities without making sacrifices.
* Data access framework: working with relational database management systems on the Java platform using JDBC and Object-relational mapping tools providing solutions to technical challenges which are reusable in a multitude of Java-based environments.
* Transaction management framework: harmonization of various transaction management API's and configurative transaction management orchestration for Java objects.
* Model-view-controller framework: HTTP and Servlet based framework providing many hooks for extension and customization.
* Remote Access framework: configurative RPC-style export and import of Java objects over computer networks supporting RMI, CORBA and HTTP-based protocols including web services (SOAP).
* Authentication and authorization framework: configurative orchestration of authentication and authorization processes supporting many popular and industry-standard standards, protocols, tools and practices via the Spring Security sub-project (formerly Acegi).
* Remote Management framework: configurative exposure and management of Java objects for local or remote configuration via JMX.
* Messaging framework: configurative registration of message listener objects for transparent message consumption from message queues via JMS, improvement of message sending over standard JMS API's.
* Testing framework: support classes for writing unit tests and integration tests.
