All Known Implementing Classes:
    PersistenceExceptionTranslationPostProcessor, AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor, AbstractPoolingTargetSourceCreator, PersistenceExceptionTranslationInterceptor, ScriptFactoryPostProcessor, BeanFactoryDestinationResolver, BeanConfigurerSupport, SimpleHttpServerJaxWsServiceExporter, ObjectFactoryCreatingFactoryBean, OpenSessionInViewInterceptor, HibernateTemplate, DefaultBeanFactoryPointcutAdvisor, ProxyFactoryBean, AspectJExpressionPointcut, CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor, LazyInitTargetSourceCreator, LazyInitTargetSource, HibernateInterceptor, AttributesThreadLocalTargetSourceCreator, SimpleBeanFactoryAwareAspectInstanceFactory, DefaultAdvisorAutoProxyCreator, AnnotationAwareAspectJAutoProxyCreator, AttributesPrototypeTargetSourceCreator, QuickTargetSourceCreator, PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer, SimpleBeanTargetSource, AnnotationMBeanExporter, MapFactoryBean, PersistenceAnnotationBeanPostProcessor, SetFactoryBean, ServiceFactoryBean, HibernateTransactionManager, BeanNameAutoProxyCreator, AbstractBeanFactoryBasedTargetSourceCreator, AbstractFactoryBean, CommonsPoolTargetSource, PrototypeTargetSource, BeanReferenceFactoryBean, AbstractPoolingTargetSource, BeanFactoryDataSourceLookup, HibernateTransactionManager, InfrastructureAdvisorAutoProxyCreator, HibernateAccessor, MethodInvokingFactoryBean, HibernateInterceptor, AttributesPoolingTargetSourceCreator, AspectJAwareAdvisorAutoProxyCreator, SimpleJaxWsServiceExporter, MBeanExporter, ListFactoryBean, TransactionProxyFactoryBean, ServletContextPropertyPlaceholderConfigurer, AbstractServiceLoaderBasedFactoryBean, LoadTimeWeaverAwareProcessor, ServiceListFactoryBean, LocalOjbConfigurer, GroovyScriptFactory, AbstractPrototypeBasedTargetSource, AbstractAdvisorAutoProxyCreator, ServiceLocatorFactoryBean, MethodInvokingJobDetailFactoryBean, NotificationPublisherAwareLazyTargetSource, ServiceLoaderFactoryBean, ThreadLocalTargetSource, AbstractJaxWsServiceExporter, BeanFactoryTransactionAttributeSourceAdvisor, MethodLocatingFactoryBean, PreferencesPlaceholderConfigurer, PropertyPathFactoryBean, AbstractBeanFactoryPointcutAdvisor, AbstractAutoProxyCreator, AbstractBeanFactoryBasedTargetSource, ScopedProxyFactoryBean

For example, beans can look up collaborating beans via the factory (Dependency Lookup). Note that most beans will choose to receive references to collaborating beans via corresponding bean properties or constructor arguments (Dependency Injection).

For a list of all bean lifecycle methods, see the BeanFactory javadocs .

Also see:

BeanNameAware
BeanClassLoaderAware
InitializingBean
org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware
author: Rod - Johnson

since: 11.03.2003 -

 public  void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) throws BeansException
Callback that supplies the owning factory to a bean instance.
Invoked after the population of normal bean properties
but before an initialization callback such as
InitializingBean#afterPropertiesSet()  or a custom init-method.