Download directly for more content description... the Spring platform's plain Java programming model, flexible XML or . major Java IDEs, with Spring also available via Maven and Ivy repositories First introduced in late 2002 by Rod Johnson in Expert One-on-One J2EE Design and Development (Wrox Books), Spring began as a simple framework that provided an easy way to wire application components together. This framework has grown into an alternative platform to the full-stack Enterprise Java platform (Java EE). It includes features normally found on expensive or heavyweight full-stack application servers: support for transactions, security, messaging, remoting, Web Services, persistence, and many other features. Compared to traditional full-stack Java EE 1 , the Spring platform's plain Java programming model, flexible XML or annotation based configuration, Aspect Oriented Programming support, and powerful Enterprise Service layer abstractions and functionality have a number of tangible benefits. Targeting Spring allows applications to be written with less code while also reducing complexity, allows greatly increased portability across multiple environments, allows greater code re-usability, and makes it much easier to test application code. With the current widespread Spring usage in enterprise Java, developers, architects, and production teams implementing on Spring have a large body of experience and resources to draw upon. Developer tools for Spring include plug-ins for all major Java IDEs, with Spring also available via Maven and Ivy repositories. SpringSource Enterprise provides a certified and indemnified version of the platform for companies that require more comprehensive support, as well as additional tooling. The Spring Framework is an application development and runtime platform that can logically be broken down into two major types of functionality. At the heart of the Spring is a Kernel which is responsible for configuring, managing and enhancing the Spring managed components in the application. In addition, an Enterprise Service Layer provides functionality and abstractions around enterprise features such as transactions, data-access, messaging, remoting, web UIs and a number of other areas.