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Spring InitializingBean and DisposableBean example

In Spring, InitializingBean and DisposableBean are two marker interfaces, a useful way for Spring to perform certain actions upon bean initialization and destruction.

  1. For bean implemented InitializingBean, it will run afterPropertiesSet() after all bean properties have been set.
  2. For bean implemented DisposableBean, it will run destroy() after Spring container is released the bean.

Example

Here’s an example to show you how to use InitializingBeanand DisposableBean. A CustomerService bean to implement both InitializingBean and DisposableBean interface, and has a message property.


package com.mkyong.customer.services;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.DisposableBean;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;

public class CustomerService implements InitializingBean, DisposableBean
{
	String message;
	
	public String getMessage() {
	  return message;
	}

	public void setMessage(String message) {
	  this.message = message;
	}
	
	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
	  System.out.println("Init method after properties are set : " + message);
	}
	
	public void destroy() throws Exception {
	  System.out.println("Spring Container is destroy! Customer clean up");
	}
	
}

File : Spring-Customer.xml


<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
	http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.5.xsd">

       <bean id="customerService" class="com.mkyong.customer.services.CustomerService">
		<property name="message" value="i'm property message" />
       </bean>
		
</beans>

Run it


package com.mkyong.common;

import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;

import com.mkyong.customer.services.CustomerService;

public class App 
{
    public static void main( String[] args )
    {
    	ConfigurableApplicationContext context = 
			new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(new String[] {"Spring-Customer.xml"});
	
    	CustomerService cust = (CustomerService)context.getBean("customerService");
    	
    	System.out.println(cust);
    	
    	context.close();
    }
}

The ConfigurableApplicationContext.close() will close the application context, releasing all resources and destroying all cached singleton beans. It’s use for destroy() method demo purpose only 🙂

Output


Init method after properties are set : im property message
com.mkyong.customer.services.CustomerService@47393f
...
INFO: Destroying singletons in org.springframework.beans.factory.
support.DefaultListableBeanFactory@77158a: 
defining beans [customerService]; root of factory hierarchy
Spring Container is destroy! Customer clean up

The afterPropertiesSet() method is called, after the message property is set; while the destroy() method is call after the context.close();

Thoughts…
I would not recommend to use InitializingBean and DisposableBean interface, because it will tight coupled your code to Spring. A better approach should be specifying the init-method and destroy-method attributes in your bean configuration file.

Download Source Code

References

  1. InitializingBean Javadoc
  2. DisposableBean Javadoc

About Author

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Founder of Mkyong.com, love Java and open source stuff. Follow him on Twitter. If you like my tutorials, consider make a donation to these charities.

Comments

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shareef
8 years ago
Himanshu
11 years ago

We can’t say that InitializaingBean and DisposableBean is marker interface. Because marker interfaces don’t contain any method they give a hit to JVM to call some appropriate method. Both interfaces are contain one method. So, We can’t call it as a merker interface…

Raman
9 years ago
Reply to  Himanshu

That was a mistake and fixed now ..you can refer to https://jira.spring.io/browse/SPR-4499

Rajesh
10 years ago
Reply to  Himanshu

I though the same way… though i did not tried yet, i doubt, its Marker interface, if so, then how Spring container will come to know which is init and destroy method.

javalschool
8 years ago

great Post Sir it is very helpful.very clean explanation

Lasantha
9 years ago

This is not an objective of having such interfaces. Those are to avoid run time errors. Your Thoughts is correct only for 1st one ( see bellow) .

* Interface to be implemented by beans that need to react once all their

* properties have been set by a BeanFactory: for example, to perform custom

* initialization, or merely to check that all mandatory properties have been set

dota2pro
10 years ago

Check the post date of both posts, are you idiot?

Mehdi
11 years ago

Thanks !

Easy And Simple 🙂

guest
12 years ago

Will this work on JBoss? For example if I undeployed or restarted a war file that contains a class that implements DisposableBean, will the destroy() method be called?

Priva Roy
5 years ago
Reply to  mkyong

Will This process work if I try to combinely launch the stage of java fx along with spring boot?

Shaswat
12 years ago

Hi,

Here it is given that
‘InitializingBean and DisposableBean are two marker interfaces’

then from where afterPropertiesSet(), destroy() came ??

How that both is marker Interface ?

Sumit Bhatnagar
11 years ago
Reply to  Shaswat

Its copied from rose india website.

An
10 years ago

Please check the date of posting the article.. or check your eye side