Autowire byType does not recognise a java.lang.String bean as a String property

[FrankMeek]

Or it doesn't seem to me to.

With this emp.xml , EmpMain correctly prints 7900 SMITH 350000.

 <bean id="eName" class="java.lang.String" >
           <constructor-arg type="java.lang.String" value="SMITH" />
     </bean>

      <bean id="myPension" class="gbpackage.FinalSalaryPension" >
           <property name="pensionValue" value="350000" />
     </bean>
           
      <bean id="emp" class="gbpackage.Emp" >
           <property name="empNo" value="7900" />
           <property name="eName" ref="eName" /> 
         <property name="pension" ref="myPension" />   

      </bean>

Add autowire=byType and 7900 null 350000 is printed :

<bean id="eName" class="java.lang.String" >
           <constructor-arg type="java.lang.String" value="SMITH" />
     </bean>

      <bean id="myPension" class="gbpackage.FinalSalaryPension" >
           <property name="pensionValue" value="350000" />
     </bean>
           
      <bean id="emp" class="gbpackage.Emp" autowire="byType" >
           <property name="empNo" value="7900" />
            

      </bean>

public class  EmpMain {
       public static void main (String[] args) {

              ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext
                                          (new String[] {"emp.xml"}) ;
                                                                   
              Emp      emp      = (Emp)      context.getBean("emp") ;
              System.out.println (emp.getEmpNo() + " " + emp.geteName() + " " + " " +
                                         emp.getPension().getPensionValue()) ;  
}      } 

public class Pension { 
       int pensionValue ;
       public void setPensionValue(int pensionValue) { this.pensionValue = pensionValue ; }
       public int getPensionValue  ()                      { return pensionValue ; }
}

class FinalSalaryPension    extends Pension  { }
class DefinedBenefitPension extends Pension { }

public class Emp {                                    
       private int empNo ;  public String eName ; Pension pension ;

       public Pension getPension() { return pension ; }
       public void setPension(Pension pension) { this.pension = pension ; }

       public Emp() { }
       public Emp (int empNo , String eName) { this.empNo = empNo ; this.eName = eName ; } 

       public int    getEmpNo() { return empNo ; } 
       public void   setEmpNo(int empNo) { this.empNo = empNo ; }  

       public String geteName() { return eName ; }
       public void   seteName(String eName) { this.eName = eName ; }  
}

[amiladomingo]

Please read following part of the reference documentation http://static.springsource.org/sprin...red-exceptions

You cannot autowire so-called simple properties such as primitives, Strings, and Classes (and arrays of such simple properties). This limitation is by-design.

[FrankMeek]

If this means that to auto-wire a property it must be a true JavaBean (getters , setters and no-arg constructor) then the looser notion of Spring bean has been tightened up.