Features of Spring 3.0 Framework

Features of Spring 3.0 Framework:

• Java 5 Support: The core API of Spring 3.0 framework is using JDK 5, so JDK 5 or above is required to run Spring 3.0 based applications. The Spring 3.0 framework provides annotation-based configuration support. JDK 5 features such as generics, annotations and varargs can used in Spring 3.0 Framework based applications. The Spring 3.0 framework is based on JDK 1.5 and it fully supports JDK 6. The Spring 3.0 is fully compatible with the JEE1.4 and EE5.
   
• Expression language - Spring Expression Language (SpEL): In this release of Spring framework Expression language support is present. The Spring Expression Language  can be used while defining the XML and Annotation based bean definition.
   
• Support for Comprehensive REST Webservices: Spring 3.0 framework supports REST web services.
   
• Java EE 6 Support: Spring 3.0 supports many features of JEE 6 such as JAP 2.0 and JSF 2.0.
   
• Annotation based formatting support: Spring comes with Annotation based formatting support. For example bean fields can be automatically formatted and converted using different annotations. For example you can use the  @DateFimeFormat(iso=ISO.DATE) and @NumberFormat(style=Style.CURRENCY) annotations to convert the date  and currency formats.
• New module organization and build system:
  The modules in the Spring 3.0 framework have been revised and it managed separately with one source-tree per module jar:
  
  * org.springframework.aop
  * org.springframework.beans
  * org.springframework.context
  * org.springframework.context.support
  * org.springframework.expression
  * org.springframework.instrument
  * org.springframework.jdbc
  * org.springframework.jms
  * org.springframework.orm
  * org.springframework.oxm
  * org.springframework.test
  * org.springframework.transaction
  * org.springframework.web
  * org.springframework.web.portlet
  * org.springframework.web.servlet
  * org.springframework.web.struts