[Springframework-developer] Include/import directive in XML bean definition files

[<jue...@we...>]

Any thoughts on include/import directives in XML bean definition files?

http://opensource.atlassian.com/projects/spring/browse/SPR-137

This is about elements in XML bean definitions that allow to include =
other XML bean definition files, with paths that are interpreted as =
relative to the current file. Basically, this is an alternative to =
combining multiple XML bean definition files via "contextConfigLocation" =
parameters.
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Remaining questions are mostly about syntax. One possibility would be =
like as follows:
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  <beans>
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    <include resource=3D"includeBeans.xml"/>
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    <bean.../>
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  </beans>
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Should the tag be called "include" or "import"? Any suggestions or =
objections regarding such functionality in general? I'm personally still =
a fan of "contextConfigLocation", but I guess there are valid use cases =
for keeping includes directly in bean definition files.
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As a side note, one can already use standard XML entity includes to =
achieve something similar. However, such include files are not full =
DTD-compliant XML files themselves, and the XML include syntax is rather =
awkward.
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  <?xml version=3D"1.0" encoding=3D"UTF-8"?>
  <!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN//EN" =
"http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans.dtd =
<http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans.dtd> " [
  <!ENTITY contextInclude SYSTEM =
"org/springframework/web/context/WEB-INF/contextInclude.xml">
  ]>

  <beans>
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    &contextInclude;

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    <bean.../>
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  </beans>
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I'd like to clarify our way to proceed with this ASAP, to get it into =
1.1 RC1 if we decide to adopt it.
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Juergen