diff --git a/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml b/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
index 4490325b1fa..da2e2b19be8 100644
--- a/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
+++ b/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
@@ -4392,8 +4392,33 @@ dataSource.url=jdbc:mysql:mydb
Annotation-based container configuration
- As mentioned in , using a
+
+ Are annotations better then XML for configuring Spring?
+
+ The introduction of annotation based configurations raised the question of whether
+ this approach is better or not then XML. The short answer is it depends..
+ The long answer is that each approach has it's pros and cons and usually it's up to the developer
+ to decide which strategy suits her better.
+ Due to the way they are defined, annotations provide a lot of context in their declaration leading
+ to shorter, more concise configurations. However XML excels at wiring up components without touching
+ their source code or recompile them. Some prefer having the wiring close to the source while
+ others argue that annotated classes are no longer POJOs and further more that the configuration becomes
+ decentralized and harder to control.
+
+ No matter the choice, Spring can accomodate both styles and even mix them together. It's worth pointing
+ out that through its JavaConfig option, Spring allows annotations to
+ be used in a non-invasive way, without touching the target components source code and that
+ in terms of tooling, all configuration styles are supported by the SpringSource Tool Suite.
+
+
+
+
+ An alternative to XML setups is provided by annotation-based configuration which rely
+ on the bytecode metadata for wiring up components instead on angle-bracket declarations.
+ Instead of using XML to describe a bean wiring, the developers moves the configuration into
+ the component class itself by using annotations on relevant class, method or field declaration.
+
+ As mentioned in , using a
BeanPostProcessor in conjunction with
annotations is a common means of extending the Spring IoC container. For
example, Spring 2.0 introduced the possibility of enforcing required
@@ -5307,7 +5332,7 @@ public class JpaMovieFinder implements MovieFinder {
by including the annotation-config attribute with
a value of false.
-
+