added GenericXmlApplicationContext with flexible configuration options for its XML support

org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/AnnotationConfigApplicationContext.java

@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
  * registering classes one by one ({@link #register}) as well as for classpath scanning
  * ({@link #scan}).
  *
- * <p>Useful for test harnesses or any other scenario where XML-based configuration
- * is unnecessary or undesired.
- *
  * <p>In case of multiple Configuration classes, {@link Bean} methods defined in later
  * classes will override those defined in earlier classes. This can be leveraged to
  * deliberately override certain bean definitions via an extra Configuration class.
@@ -37,8 +34,11 @@ import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
  * @author Chris Beams
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @since 3.0
+ * @see #register
+ * @see #scan
  * @see AnnotatedBeanDefinitionReader
  * @see ClassPathBeanDefinitionScanner
+ * @see org.springframework.context.support.GenericXmlApplicationContext
  */
 public class AnnotationConfigApplicationContext extends GenericApplicationContext {
 
@@ -55,9 +55,8 @@ public class AnnotationConfigApplicationContext extends GenericApplicationContex
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Create a new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext, deriving bean
-	 * definitions from the given annotated classes and automatically
-	 * refreshing the context.
+	 * Create a new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext, deriving bean definitions
+	 * from the given annotated classes and automatically refreshing the context.
 	 * @param annotatedClasses one or more annotated classes,
 	 * e.g. {@link Configuration @Configuration} classes
 	 */
@@ -67,9 +66,8 @@ public class AnnotationConfigApplicationContext extends GenericApplicationContex
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Create a new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext, scanning for bean
-	 * definitions in the given packages and automatically refreshing the
-	 * context.
+	 * Create a new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext, scanning for bean definitions
+	 * in the given packages and automatically refreshing the context.
 	 * @param basePackages the packages to check for annotated classes
 	 */
 	public AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(String... basePackages) {

org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContext.java

@@ -156,6 +156,27 @@ public class GenericApplicationContext extends AbstractApplicationContext implem
 		this.beanFactory.setSerializationId(id);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Set whether it should be allowed to override bean definitions by registering
+	 * a different definition with the same name, automatically replacing the former.
+	 * If not, an exception will be thrown. Default is "true".
+	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory#setAllowBeanDefinitionOverriding
+	 */
+	public void setAllowBeanDefinitionOverriding(boolean allowBeanDefinitionOverriding) {
+		this.beanFactory.setAllowBeanDefinitionOverriding(allowBeanDefinitionOverriding);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set whether to allow circular references between beans - and automatically
+	 * try to resolve them.
+	 * <p>Default is "true". Turn this off to throw an exception when encountering
+	 * a circular reference, disallowing them completely.
+	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory#setAllowCircularReferences
+	 */
+	public void setAllowCircularReferences(boolean allowCircularReferences) {
+		this.beanFactory.setAllowCircularReferences(allowCircularReferences);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Set a ResourceLoader to use for this context. If set, the context will
 	 * delegate all <code>getResource</code> calls to the given ResourceLoader.

org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericXmlApplicationContext.java

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.context.support;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader;
+import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
+
+/**
+ * Convenient application context with built-in XML support.
+ * This is a flexible alternative to {@link ClassPathXmlApplicationContext}
+ * and {@link FileSystemXmlApplicationContext}, to be configured via setters,
+ * with an eventual {@link #refresh()} call activating the context.
+ *
+ * <p>In case of multiple configuration files, bean definitions in later files
+ * will override those defined in earlier files. This can be leveraged to
+ * deliberately override certain bean definitions via an extra configuration file.
+ *
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @since 3.0
+ * @see #load
+ * @see XmlBeanDefinitionReader
+ * @see org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext
+ */
+public class GenericXmlApplicationContext extends GenericApplicationContext {
+
+	private final XmlBeanDefinitionReader reader = new XmlBeanDefinitionReader(this);
+
+
+	/**
+ 	 * Create a new GenericXmlApplicationContext that needs to be populated
+	 * through {@link #load} calls and then manually {@link #refresh refreshed}.
+	 */
+	public GenericXmlApplicationContext() {
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a new GenericXmlApplicationContext, loading bean definitions
+	 * from the given resources and automatically refreshing the context.
+	 * @param resources the resources to load from
+	 */
+	public GenericXmlApplicationContext(Resource... resources) {
+		load(resources);
+		refresh();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a new GenericXmlApplicationContext, loading bean definitions
+	 * from the given resource locations and automatically refreshing the context.
+	 * @param resourceLocations the resources to load from
+	 */
+	public GenericXmlApplicationContext(String... resourceLocations) {
+		load(resourceLocations);
+		refresh();
+	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Set whether to use XML validation.
+	 */
+	public void setValidating(boolean validating) {
+		this.reader.setValidationMode(validating ?
+				XmlBeanDefinitionReader.VALIDATION_AUTO : XmlBeanDefinitionReader.VALIDATION_NONE);
+	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Load bean definitions from the given XML resources.
+	 * @param resources one or more resources to load from
+	 */
+	public void load(Resource... resources) {
+		this.reader.loadBeanDefinitions(resources);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Load bean definitions from the given XML resources.
+	 * @param resourceLocations one or more resource locations to load from
+	 */
+	public void load(String... resourceLocations) {
+		this.reader.loadBeanDefinitions(resourceLocations);
+	}
+
+}