BeanFactory vs ApplicationContext
Difference between BeanFactory & ApplicationContext
- BeanFactory & ApplicationContext are different types of "Spring Container" which are used for managing beans in a Spring application.
- BeanFactory is simpler and lightweight, ideal for basic small, standalone applications.
- ApplicationContext is more powerful and feature-rich, supporting a wider range of functionalities for enterprise-level applications.
Below are some differences between BeanFactory & ApplicationContext :-
| Aspect | BeanFactory | ApplicationContext |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Definition | It is "basic container" that manages beans with minimal features. | Its is "advanced container" extending BeanFactory with extra features. |
| 2. Usage | It is suitable for small, standalone applications. | It is suitable for web applications, AOP, ORM and large enterprise applications. |
| 3. Resource Usage | It requires less memory, suitable for lightweight or memory-critical applications. | It uses more memory, providing additional features for enterprise applications. |
| 4. Initialization | It uses lazy initialization i.e. it creates the beans only when needed. | It uses eager initialization i.e. it loads and creates the beans at container startup. |
| 5. Bean Scopes Supported | It supports only Singleton and Prototype scopes. | It supports all scopes, including Request and Session, for web contexts. |
| 6. Annotation Support | It doesn’t support annotations; requires XML configuration. | It supports annotations for simpler configuration. |
| 7. Internationalization | It does not provide support for internationalization (i18n). | It provides the i18n support for multilingual applications. |
| 8. Event Handling | It does not support event handling. | It supports event handling via ApplicationEvent and ApplicationListener. |
| 9. Bean Post Processing | It requires manual registration of BeanPostProcessor and BeanFactoryPostProcessor. | It automatically registers BeanPostProcessor and BeanFactoryPostProcessor at startup. |
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