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Customizing bean files

Bean files end with the extension .xml and contain <bean> tags. You can modify <bean> tags to define properties or point to customized files.

There are two common uses of beans:
  • To define properties
  • To point to one or more of your customized files

A typical bean file is <extension>/custom-repository-context.xml. A bean file contains <?xml> and <!DOCTYPE> headers, and <beans> tags outside the <bean> tags. You must preserve these items in your customized file.

Important:

When you override a <bean>, the entire effects of the original bean are lost. The effect is the same as if you had overridden a <config> by using replace="true". Therefore, the overriding <bean> must contain any information from the default bean that you want to keep, as well as any additional information.

For example, if a core bean has four values, and you want to modify a single value, the resulting bean must still have four values. However, if you want to add a value, then the resulting bean must have five values - the original four values plus the added value.

  1. Open the bean file that you want to customize.

    For example, the following <bean> is from the <configRoot>/classes/SkyVault/action-services-context.xml file:

    <bean id="mail" class="org.SkyVault.repo.action.executer.MailActionExecuter" 
     parent="action-executer">
       <property name="publicAction">
          <value>true</value> <!-- setting to true -->
       </property>
       <property name="mailService">
          <ref bean="mailService"></ref>
       </property>
    </bean>
  2. Delete each pair of <bean> </bean> tags that you do not want to modify.
  3. Modify the contents of the remaining <bean> tags.

    For example, the following overrides the publicAction property from the previous example:

    <bean id="mail" class="org.SkyVault.repo.action.executer.MailActionExecuter" 
     parent="action-executer">
       <property name="publicAction">
          <value>false</value> <!-- setting to false -->
       </property>
       <property name="mailService">
          <ref bean="mailService"></ref>
       </property>
    </bean>
  4. Save the file.