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spring-boot / 1.5.9.RELEASE / reference / using-boot-configuration-classes.html

15. Configuration classes

Spring Boot favors Java-based configuration. Although it is possible to call SpringApplication.run() with an XML source, we generally recommend that your primary source is a @Configuration class. Usually the class that defines the main method is also a good candidate as the primary @Configuration.

[Tip] Tip

Many Spring configuration examples have been published on the Internet that use XML configuration. Always try to use the equivalent Java-based configuration if possible. Searching for Enable* annotations can be a good starting point.

15.1 Importing additional configuration classes

You don’t need to put all your @Configuration into a single class. The @Import annotation can be used to import additional configuration classes. Alternatively, you can use @ComponentScan to automatically pick up all Spring components, including @Configuration classes.

15.2 Importing XML configuration

If you absolutely must use XML based configuration, we recommend that you still start with a @Configuration class. You can then use an additional @ImportResource annotation to load XML configuration files.