In this session, we will take a deep-dive into annotation-based dependency injection with Spring 2.5. You will learn how to combine annotation and XML formats, how to customize component scanning, and how to leverage Java 6 annotations within a Spring application. Since there is no "one size fits all" solution to application configuration, we will wrap up the discussion with general guidelines to consider when employing this approach.

Although XML is the most widely used format for Spring configuration, other options do exist including properties files, Spring's Java Configuration, and even Groovy builders. Spring 2.5 adds to this mix with support for Java's @Resource annotation and Spring's @Autowired annotation. Spring 2.5 also supports classpath scanning for Spring components. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of these new Spring 2.5 features for annotation-based configuration.