Opinion : How to set up external configuration for your Spring application

Hi dear fellows developpers,

This is my first post in this forum where I spent so much time for help. :)

I wrote a while back ago an article where I tried to sum up all the possibilities given for the Spring developpers to set up external configuration.

I found mainly 4 ways :

1 : Spring configuration using an external xml file
2 : Spring configuration using an external properties file with PlaceHolder
3 : Spring configuration using a configuration bean and an application event
4 : Spring configuration using jmx

I would like your opinion about it and maybe if you know other means, I will then try them, then insert it into my article.

http://www.mikaelkrok.net/component/content/article/44-java/121-4-ways-to-set-up-external-configuration-in-your-spring-application


Thanks for your time.