Can J2EE/EJB application automatically load applicationContext.xml?

[msuiter]

I've written a Spring MVC application and it loads my bean .xml file automatically. Is there a way to do this with a J2EE/EJB application for the applicationContext.xml? We're just starting to use Spring in our EJB's and I have it working using:

ApplicationContext applicationContext = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("applicationContext .xml");

I just wonder if there's a better way?

[Marten Deinum]

Loading an ApplicationContext in an EJB (Container) can be bit tricky. The best known and documented approach is using a (Context)SingletonBeanFactoryLocator. You can find more information about Spring and EJB's in the reference guide. Chapter 18.3 gives an explanation about that.

Your solution will result in multiple ApplicationContexts i.e. one for each EJB instance, not sure if you want that .

[akram]

For your stateless session beans, you may extends AbstractStatelessSessionBean .

And define in you ejb-jar.xml the environnment entry: ejb/BeanFactoryPath
Like this:

<env-entry>
  <env-entry-name>ejb/BeanFactoryPath</env-entry-name>
  <env-entry-type>java.lang.String</env-entry-type>
  <env-entry-value>
    <![CDATA[application-core-dao.xml application-ejb-jndi-datasource.xml 
             application-business-services.xml 
             application-business-interfaces.xml
             application-business-rules-engine.xml ]]>
  </env-entry-value>
</env-entry>

In your stateless session bean, you could access the application context's beans with:

getBeanFactory().getBean("myBean")

[kakoni]

Does someone have any idea why this wouldnt work on weblogic 10?

I've got stateless session bean (ejb 3.0 spec)

@Stateless(name="echoService")
public class EchoServiceBean extends AbstractStatelessSessionBean implements EchoService,Serializable {
.
@Override
	protected void onEjbCreate() {
		 doSomething()
	}
}

And that onEjbCreate() never gets called. I'm clueless

[Marten Deinum]

The AbstractStatelessSessionBean is to be used for EJB prior to EJB3. It isn't to be used for EJB3.

[kakoni]

The AbstractStatelessSessionBean is to be used for EJB prior to EJB3. It isn't to be used for EJB3.

Is it really so? I've seen so many examples (for instance "ejb3 in action") where AbstractStatelessSessionBean is used to provide beanfactory.

Anyway, looks like pitchfork is the way to go in weblogic 10.x.