Re: Advantages and Disadvantages of using the Spring framework
josh.s17@gmail.com wrote:
I just wanted explore whether my experiences with using the spring
framework are a common
experience.
I can see same great advantages with using Spring however I
have this nagging feeling that it isn't the magic solution that some
people seem to make it out to be.
My gut feeling is the Spring framework is something that only
"experienced" java developers would appreciate and choose to use as it
solves problems that that large commercial developers comes across
often eg jdbc error handling is quite ugly but Spring JDBC templates
solves this problem.
However the downside of Spring is trying to learn it. Learning J2SE.
then J2EE (even just the web component parts) and also some widely
used java frameworks takes a long time. Mastering or even being a
novice at the Spring framework take a fair amount of time in addition
to this.
I'm also concerned that the extra configuration involved in using
Spring can reduce the understandability of the code for a newcomer
especially if they are not a Spring expert themselves.
Spring has become a very huge framework.
I would strongly advice against using everything of it just
because of the Spring==good hype.
Look at what parts of Spring really provides some benefits for
your project and use those parts.
A lot of the stuff is pretty good and it is much better to
use Spring than create your own equivalent solution seen
from a maintenance perspective.
Spring is being actively maintained and if you hire a Java
programmer today is is very likely that he/she has at least
some experience with Spring, because it is very popular.
Spring is like patterns. If you have a problem that really fits
a pattern then use the pattern. But don't look for ways
of applying all possible patterns.
Arne