Difference between applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml in Spring

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Are applicationContext.xml and spring-servlet.xml related anyhow in spring framework? Will the properties files declared in applicationContext.xml be available to DispatcherServlet? On a related note, why do I need a *-servlet.xml at all ? Why is applicationContext.xml alone insufficient? java spring share | improve this question edited 2 days ago informatik01 2,605 3 10 28 asked Sep 6 '10 at 14:05 user448070 432 1 5 6

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Spring lets you define multiple contexts in a parent-child hierarchy. The applicationContext.xml defines the beans for the "root webapp context", i.e. the context associated with the webapp. The spring-servlet.xml (or whatever else you call it) defines the beans for one servlet's app context. There can be many of these in a webapp, one per Spring servlet (e.g. spring1-servlet.xml for servlet spring1, spring2-servlet.xml for servlet spring2). Beans in spring-servlet.xml can reference beans in applicationContext.xml, but not vice versa. All Spring MVC controllers must go in the spring-servlet.xml context. In most simple cases, the applicationContext.xml context is unnecessary. It is generally used to contain beans that are shared between all servlets in a webapp. If you only have one servlet, then there's not really much point, unless you have a specific use for it. share | improve this answer answered Sep 6 '10 at 14:10 skaffman 170k 26 339 428

4   why would you have multiple spring servlets ? –  NimChimpsky Aug 14 '12 at 9:59 2   mighty potent answer (because of succinctness) –  amphibient Mar 15 at 16:44 3   @NimChimpsky it is sometimes useful to separate parts of your application that could otherwise conflict in the same context. As an example you may have ReST services and standard views, you may then have different view resolvers or security concerns for the services as to the views. –  Brett Ryan Apr 3 at 17:19 2   People should see this answer before reading documentation and developing apps! In normal cases there is no need to have ContextLoaderListener and contextConfigLocation at all, just DispatcherServlet! –  ruruskyi Jun 28 at 13:11 2   In many tutorials contextConfigLocation contains dispatcher-servlet.xml as well as DispatcherServlet. This causing beans to be initialized twice! –  ruruskyi Jun 28 at 13:24 show 2 more comments

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One more point I want to add. In spring-servlet.xml we include component scan for Controller package. In following example we include filter annotation for controller package. <!-- Scans for annotated @Controllers in the classpath --> <context:component-scan base-package="org.test.web"> <context:include-filter type="annotation" expression="org.springframework.stereotype.Controller"/> </context:component-scan> In applicationcontext.xml we add filter for remaining package excluding controller. <context:component-scan base-package="org.test"> <context:exclude-filter type="annotation" expression="org.springframework.stereotype.Controller"/> </context:component-scan> share | improve this answer answered Jul 18 '12 at 4:11 Raje 715 1 21 38

1   why ? Why not just scan the whole thing one time ? –  NimChimpsky Aug 14 '12 at 9:57 1   @NimChimpsky You have to scan @Controller beans in servlet context (required by Spring MVC). –  Tuukka Mustonen Nov 21 '12 at 12:22 2   Why not can the whole thing twice? Why include/exclude? –  Mike Rylander Jul 5 at 16:26

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Scenario1. In client application(application is not web application.E.g may be swing app) private static ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("test-client.xml"); context.getBean(name); No need of web.xml.ApplicationContext as container for getting bean service.No need for web server container. In test-client.xml there can be Simple bean with no remoting,bean with remoting. Conclusion:In Scenario1 applicationContex and DispatcherServlet they are not related. Scenario2. In server application(application deployed in server e.g tomcat).Accessed service via remoting from client program(e.g swing app) Define listener in web.xml <listener> <listener-class>org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener</listener-class> </listener> When server startup ContextLoaderListener instantiates beans defined in applicationcontext.xml. If there are suppose <import resource="test1.xml" /> <import resource="test2.xml" /> <import resource="test3.xml" /> <import resource="test4.xml" /> in applicationcontext.xml beans are instantiated from all four test1.xml,test2.xml,test3.xml,test4.xml. Conclusion:In Scenario2 applicationContex and DispatcherServlet they are not related. Scenario3.In web application with spring MVC.In web.xml define. < servlet> <servlet-name>springweb</servlet-name> <servlet-class>org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet</servlet-class> </servlet> <servlet-mapping> <servlet-name>springweb</servlet-name> <url-pattern>*.action</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping> When tomcat starts bean defied in springweb-servlet.xml is instantiated. DispatcherServlet extends FrameworkServlet.In FrameworkServlet bean instantiation takes place for springweb .In our case springweb is FrameworkServlet. Conclusion:In Scenario3 applicationContex and DispatcherServlet they are not related. Scenario4.In web application with spring MVC.springweb-servlet.xml for servlet and applicationcontext.xml for accessing the business service within the server program Or for accessing DB service in another server program.In web.xml define. org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener <servlet> <servlet-name>springweb</servlet-name> <servlet-class>org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet</servlet-class> </servlet> <servlet-mapping> <servlet-name>springweb</servlet-name> <url-pattern>*.action</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping> When server startup ContextLoaderListener instantiates beans defined in applicationcontext.xml If there are suppose <import resource="test1.xml" /> <import resource="test2.xml" /> <import resource="test3.xml" /> <import resource="test4.xml" /> beans are all instantiated from all four test1.xml,test2.xml,test3.xml,test4.xml. After the completion of bean instantiation defined in applicationcontext then bean defied in springweb-servlet.xml is instantiated. So instantiation order is root is application context ,then FrameworkServlet. Now it makes clear why they are important in which scenario.