Spring XML namespaces : How do I find what are the implementing classes behind them?

Question

In my Spring 3.1 application, I sometime need to change the default behavior of some of the Spring namespaces in my context files. To do that, I create custom classes that i

Answer 1

Almost all of them are named *BeanDefinitionParser. First step is, using your browser, bring up the Spring JavaDocs and hit -F (or -F). Search for BeanDefinitionParser. Of the classes that match, one or two will, by their names, look like they handle the namespace elements you are researching. It may take a bit of looking at the source code to those classes but you'll ultimately find what you want.

Alternatively, in your IDE, you can browse to BeanDefinitionParser.java and then do "Find Usages" (IntelliJ) or "Type Hierarchy" (Eclipse) to find all of the implementers of that interface. There are a handful of classes that don't follow the *BeanDefinitionParser naming convention. Your IDE will give you a comprehensive list.

I think that Spring should actually document, in the Namespace section of their reference docs, the names of the classes that handle each element.