BeanDefinitionReader (Spring Framework 3.2.1.RELEASE API)
Date: 2013-01-24

org.springframework.beans.factory.support

## Interface BeanDefinitionReader

- All Known Implementing Classes:
    AbstractBeanDefinitionReader, PropertiesBeanDefinitionReader, XmlBeanDefinitionReader

      public interface BeanDefinitionReader

  Simple interface for bean definition readers. Specifies load methods with Resource parameters.

  Concrete bean definition readers can of course add additional load and register methods for bean definitions, specific to their bean definition format.

  Note that a bean definition reader does not have to implement this interface. It only serves as suggestion for bean definition readers that want to follow standard naming conventions.

  Since:
    1.1
  Author:
    Juergen Hoeller
  See Also:
    `Resource`

- - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `ClassLoader` | `getBeanClassLoader()` Return the class loader to use for bean classes.
    `BeanNameGenerator` | `getBeanNameGenerator()` Return the BeanNameGenerator to use for anonymous beans (without explicit bean name specified).
    `BeanDefinitionRegistry` | `getRegistry()` Return the bean factory to register the bean definitions with.
    `ResourceLoader` | `getResourceLoader()` Return the resource loader to use for resource locations.
    `int` | `loadBeanDefinitions(Resource... resources)` Load bean definitions from the specified resources.
    `int` | `loadBeanDefinitions(Resource resource)` Load bean definitions from the specified resource.
    `int` | `loadBeanDefinitions(String... locations)` Load bean definitions from the specified resource locations.
    `int` | `loadBeanDefinitions(String location)` Load bean definitions from the specified resource location.

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### getRegistry

          BeanDefinitionRegistry getRegistry()

      Return the bean factory to register the bean definitions with.

      The factory is exposed through the BeanDefinitionRegistry interface, encapsulating the methods that are relevant for bean definition handling.

    - #### getResourceLoader

          ResourceLoader getResourceLoader()

      Return the resource loader to use for resource locations. Can be checked for the ResourcePatternResolver interface and cast accordingly, for loading multiple resources for a given resource pattern.

      Null suggests that absolute resource loading is not available for this bean definition reader.

      This is mainly meant to be used for importing further resources from within a bean definition resource, for example via the "import" tag in XML bean definitions. It is recommended, however, to apply such imports relative to the defining resource; only explicit full resource locations will trigger absolute resource loading.

      There is also a `loadBeanDefinitions(String)` method available, for loading bean definitions from a resource location (or location pattern). This is a convenience to avoid explicit ResourceLoader handling.

      See Also:
        `loadBeanDefinitions(String)`, `ResourcePatternResolver`

    - #### getBeanClassLoader

          ClassLoader getBeanClassLoader()

      Return the class loader to use for bean classes.

      `null` suggests to not load bean classes eagerly but rather to just register bean definitions with class names, with the corresponding Classes to be resolved later (or never).

    - #### getBeanNameGenerator

          BeanNameGenerator getBeanNameGenerator()

      Return the BeanNameGenerator to use for anonymous beans (without explicit bean name specified).

    - #### loadBeanDefinitions

          int loadBeanDefinitions(Resource resource)
                                  throws BeanDefinitionStoreException

      Load bean definitions from the specified resource.
      Parameters:
        `resource` - the resource descriptor
      Returns:
        the number of bean definitions found
      Throws:
        `BeanDefinitionStoreException` - in case of loading or parsing errors

    - #### loadBeanDefinitions

          int loadBeanDefinitions(Resource... resources)
                                  throws BeanDefinitionStoreException

      Load bean definitions from the specified resources.
      Parameters:
        `resources` - the resource descriptors
      Returns:
        the number of bean definitions found
      Throws:
        `BeanDefinitionStoreException` - in case of loading or parsing errors

    - #### loadBeanDefinitions

          int loadBeanDefinitions(String location)
                                  throws BeanDefinitionStoreException

      Load bean definitions from the specified resource location.

      The location can also be a location pattern, provided that the ResourceLoader of this bean definition reader is a ResourcePatternResolver.

      Parameters:
        `location` - the resource location, to be loaded with the ResourceLoader (or ResourcePatternResolver) of this bean definition reader
      Returns:
        the number of bean definitions found
      Throws:
        `BeanDefinitionStoreException` - in case of loading or parsing errors
      See Also:
        `getResourceLoader()`, `loadBeanDefinitions(org.springframework.core.io.Resource)`, `loadBeanDefinitions(org.springframework.core.io.Resource[])`

    - #### loadBeanDefinitions

          int loadBeanDefinitions(String... locations)
                                  throws BeanDefinitionStoreException

      Load bean definitions from the specified resource locations.
      Parameters:
        `locations` - the resource locations, to be loaded with the ResourceLoader (or ResourcePatternResolver) of this bean definition reader
      Returns:
        the number of bean definitions found
      Throws:
        `BeanDefinitionStoreException` - in case of loading or parsing errors