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Spring Web Flow

Spring Web Flow 2.4.8.RELEASE API


The public Java Documentation for the Spring Web Flow project.

See: Description

Packages 
Package Description
org.springframework.binding.collection
Collection related classes usable by other packages and systems.
org.springframework.binding.convert
Core services for converting objects from one type to another.
org.springframework.binding.convert.converters
Common Converter implementations.
org.springframework.binding.convert.service
Contains the implementation of the type ConversionService.
org.springframework.binding.expression
Core expression language abstraction for parsing and evaluating expressions.
org.springframework.binding.expression.beanwrapper
Support for Spring's BeanWrapper implemented by the BeanWrapperExpressionParser.
org.springframework.binding.expression.el
Support for the Unified Expression Language (EL) implemented by the ELExpressionParser.
org.springframework.binding.expression.ognl
Support for the OGNL Expression Language implemented by the OgnlExpressionParser.
org.springframework.binding.expression.spel  
org.springframework.binding.expression.support
Support classes commonly used by ExpressionParser implementations.
org.springframework.binding.format
Core services for formatting objects into a string form for display in a UI.
org.springframework.binding.mapping
Support for mapping data between objects.
org.springframework.binding.mapping.impl
The default data Mapper implementation.
org.springframework.binding.mapping.results
Possible Mapping results.
org.springframework.binding.message
A system for recording and tracking locale-specific messages to display in a UI.
org.springframework.binding.method
Custom method binding support for invoking methods on objects.
org.springframework.binding.validation
Common validation interfaces.
org.springframework.faces.config
Configuration support for the Spring Faces custom XML namespace.
org.springframework.faces.model
Extended implementations of JSF-specific data structures such as DataModel.
org.springframework.faces.model.converter
Conversion support for JSF-specific data structures.
org.springframework.faces.mvc
Support for JSF integration with Spring MVC.
org.springframework.faces.security  
org.springframework.faces.support
Development and debugging support for working with JSF.
org.springframework.faces.webflow
The integration layer between Spring Web Flow and Java Server Faces (JSF).
org.springframework.faces.webflow.application.portlet  
org.springframework.faces.webflow.context.portlet  
org.springframework.js.ajax
Contains the server-side support for handling Spring.js Ajax requests.
org.springframework.js.ajax.tiles2
The Ajax integration between Spring.js and the Tiles2 layout system.
org.springframework.js.ajax.tiles3
The Ajax integration between Spring.js and the Tiles3 layout system.
org.springframework.js.resource
Contains the generic ResourceServlet for serving web resources such as Javascript and CSS.
org.springframework.webflow.action
Common action implementations invokable by flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.config
High-level flow system configuration support within a Spring environment.
org.springframework.webflow.context
The external context subsystem for accessing the environment of a client that has called into Spring Web Flow.
org.springframework.webflow.context.portlet
Contains the PortletExternalContext implementation for calling into Web Flow from a Portlet.
org.springframework.webflow.context.servlet
Contains the ServletExternalContext implementation for calling into Web Flow from a Servlet environment.
org.springframework.webflow.context.web
Shared classes used by the Servlet and Portlet ExternalContext implementations.
org.springframework.webflow.conversation
The conversation subsystem for beginning and ending conversations that manage the state of user interactions.
org.springframework.webflow.conversation.impl
Conversation manager implementations.
org.springframework.webflow.core
Foundational, generic types usable by all other packages.
org.springframework.webflow.core.collection
Core element collection types used within Spring Web Flow.
org.springframework.webflow.definition
Core, stable abstractions for representing flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry
The flow definition registry subsystem for managing collections of executable flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.engine
The implementation of the web flow execution engine.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder
The FlowBuilder subsystem for building and assembling executable flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder.model
Contains a FlowBuilder that builds Flow instances from a FlowModel.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder.support
Support classes for implementing FlowBuilders.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.impl
The implementation of Spring Web Flow's flow execution engine, based on finite-state machine.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.model
Defines a configuration model for Flow instances.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.builder
The FlowModelBuilder subsystem for building FlowModels, a configuration model for a Flow instance.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.builder.xml
Defines the XmlFlowModelBuilder, for building FlowModels from XML-based resources.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry
The registry subsystem for managing collections of flow models.
org.springframework.webflow.engine.support
Support implementations the engine uses internally.
org.springframework.webflow.execution
Core, stable abstractions for representing runtime executions of flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.execution.factory
Supporting types often used by flow execution factory implementations.
org.springframework.webflow.execution.repository
The flow execution repository subsystem for saving and restoring managed flow executions.
org.springframework.webflow.execution.repository.impl
Contains the concrete flow execution repository implementations provided by the framework.
org.springframework.webflow.execution.repository.snapshot
Support for repositories that take flow execution snapshots to support backtracking.
org.springframework.webflow.execution.repository.support
General purpose implementation assistance for flow execution repositories.
org.springframework.webflow.executor
High-level executors for driving the execution of flow definitions.
org.springframework.webflow.expression
Expression language integration.
org.springframework.webflow.expression.el
Web Flow integration with the Unified EL API.
org.springframework.webflow.expression.spel  
org.springframework.webflow.mvc.builder
Support for configuring Spring MVC-based ViewFactory implementations when building a Flow.
org.springframework.webflow.mvc.portlet
The integration between Web Flow and Spring Portlet MVC, Spring's portlet application platform.
org.springframework.webflow.mvc.servlet
The integration between Web Flow and Spring MVC, Spring's web application platform.
org.springframework.webflow.mvc.view
Support for rendering Spring MVC-based Views within Web Flow.
org.springframework.webflow.persistence
Flow-managed persistence with Hibernate and JPA.
org.springframework.webflow.scope
Web Flow custom bean scopes allowing access to scoped-beans from a Spring ApplicationContext.
org.springframework.webflow.security
Support for securing flows using Spring Security.
org.springframework.webflow.test
Support for testing flows and their associated artifacts.
org.springframework.webflow.test.execution
Support for testing the execution of a flow definition.
org.springframework.webflow.upgrade
A migration tool to convert Web Flow version 1 flow definitions to the version 2 format.
org.springframework.webflow.validation  


The public Java Documentation for the Spring Web Flow project.

Spring Web Flow facilitates building web applications that require guided navigation -- e.g. a shopping cart, flight check-in, a loan application, and many others. In contrast to stateless, free-form navigation such use cases have a clear start and end point, one or more screens to go through in a specific order, and a set of changes that are not finalized to the end.

A distinguishing feature is the ability to define a flow definition consisting of states, transitions, and data. For example, view states correspond to the individual screens of the flow while transitions are caused by events resulting from the click of a button or a link. Data may be stored in scopes such as flash, view, flow, and others. Scoped data is cleared when it is no longer in scope.

In REST terms a flow represents as a single resource. The same URL used to start the flow is also the URL used to step through the flow (there is also an execution key uniquely identifying the current flow instance). As a result of this approach navigation remains encapsulated in the flow definition.

Some key benefits of using Spring Web Flow:

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Spring Web Flow