The spring framework is a lightweight container that makes it easy to use different types of services. Lightweight containers can accept any JavaBean, instead of specific types of components.

WebLogic SCA enables you to use the spring framework to create Java applications using plain old Java objects (POJOs) and expose components as SCA services and references. In SCA terms, a WebLogic spring framework SCA application is a collection of POJOs plus a spring SCA context file that wires the classes with SCA services and references.

You can use the spring framework to create service components and wire them within a SOA composite application using its dependency injection capabilities. SCA can extend spring framework capabilities as follows:

• Publish spring beans as SCA component services that can be accessed by other SCA components or by remote clients

• Provide spring beans for service references wired to services of other components

As with all service components, spring components are defined in the composite.xml file. The spring component defined in the composite.xml file has service and reference elements with binding.java.

Services are implemented by beans and are targeted in the spring context file. References are supplied by the runtime as implicit (or virtual) beans in the spring context file.

You can also integrate Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) with SOA composite applications through use of Java interfaces (with no requirement for SDO parameters). For information, see Integrating Enterprise JavaBeans with Composite Applications .