Alternative to XML style objects in Spring configurations?

Question

Spring IoC framework is pretty elegant. Writing configuration objects in XML is not.

Are there alternatives to loading complex objects and embedding them in your beans in Spring? Property files are too simple (they contain only key-value pairs). I am interested in creating lists, maps, etc. I thought something like a JSON object.

Answer 1

Starting with version 3.0 and further enhanced in version 3.1, Spring now has full Java configuration support.

http://static.springsource.org/spring/docs/current/spring-framework-reference/htmlsingle/#beans-java

http://static.springsource.org/spring/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/context/annotation/Configuration.html