Spring Framework - ImportSelector Examples

[Last Updated: Nov 8, 2025]

Implementing ImportSelector to select configuration classes.

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ImportSelector;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

public class MyImportSelector implements ImportSelector {

    @Override
    public String[] selectImports(AnnotationMetadata importingClassMetadata) {
        String prop = System.getProperty("myProp");
        if ("someValue".equals(prop)) {
            return new String[]{MyConfig1.class.getName()};
        } else {
            return new String[]{MyConfig2.class.getName()};
        }
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig1 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 1");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig2 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 2");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Import;

@Configuration
@Import(MyImportSelector.class)
public class MainConfig {

    @Bean
    ClientBean clientBean() {
        return new ClientBean();
    }

}

package com.logicbig.example;

public class AppBean {
    private String message;

    public AppBean(String message) {
        this.message = message;
    }

    public String getMessage() {
        return message;
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;

public class ClientBean {
    @Autowired
    private AppBean appBean;

    public void doSomething() {
        System.out.println(appBean.getMessage());
    }

}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;

public class ImportSelectorExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("myProp", "someValue");

        ApplicationContext context =
                new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
                        MainConfig.class);
        ClientBean bean = context.getBean(ClientBean.class);
        bean.doSomething();
    }
}

Output

from config 1

Original Post

Implementing ImportSelector and using a custom annotation to select configuration classes.

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ImportSelector;
import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationAttributes;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

public class MyImportSelector implements ImportSelector {

    @Override
    public String[] selectImports(AnnotationMetadata importingClassMetadata) {
        AnnotationAttributes attributes = AnnotationAttributes.fromMap(
                importingClassMetadata.getAnnotationAttributes(
                        EnableSomeModule.class.getName(), false));

        String value = attributes.getString("value");
        if ("someValue".equals(value)) {
            return new String[]{MyConfig1.class.getName()};
        } else {
            return new String[]{MyConfig2.class.getName()};
        }
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig1 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 1");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig2 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 2");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
@EnableSomeModule("someValue")
public class MainConfig {
    @Bean
    ClientBean clientBean() {
        return new ClientBean();
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

public class AppBean {
    private String message;

    public AppBean(String message) {
        this.message = message;
    }

    public String getMessage() {
        return message;
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;

public class ClientBean {
    @Autowired
    private AppBean appBean;

    public void doSomething() {
        System.out.println(appBean.getMessage());
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;

public class ImportSelectorWithAnnotationExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        ApplicationContext context =
                new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
                        MainConfig.class);
        ClientBean bean = context.getBean(ClientBean.class);
        bean.doSomething();
    }
}

Output

from config 1

Original Post

Overriding ImportSelector#getExclusionFilter() to filter selected configuration classes.

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ImportSelector;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

import java.util.function.Predicate;

public class MyImportSelector implements ImportSelector {

    @Override
    public String[] selectImports(AnnotationMetadata importingClassMetadata) {
        String prop = System.getProperty("myProp");
        if ("someValue".equals(prop)) {
            return new String[]{MyConfig1.class.getName(), MyConfig3.class.getName()};
        } else {
            return new String[]{MyConfig2.class.getName()};
        }

    }
    @Override
    public Predicate<String> getExclusionFilter() {
        return configClass -> {

            if (configClass.equals(MyConfig3.class.getName())) {
                return true;
            }

            return false;
        };
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig1 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean1() {
        return new AppBean("from config 1");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig2 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean2() {
        return new AppBean("from config 2");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig3 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean3() {
        return new AppBean("from config 3");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Import;

@Configuration
@Import(MyImportSelector.class)
public class MainConfig {

    @Bean
    ClientBean clientBean() {
        return new ClientBean();
    }

}

package com.logicbig.example;

public class AppBean {
    private String message;

    public AppBean(String message) {
        this.message = message;
    }

    public String getMessage() {
        return message;
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;

import java.util.List;

public class ClientBean {
    @Autowired
    private List<AppBean> appBeanList;

    public void doSomething() {
        for (AppBean appBean : appBeanList) {
            System.out.println(appBean.getMessage());
        }
    }

}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;

public class ImportSelectorExclusionFilterMain {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("myProp", "someValue");

        ApplicationContext context =
                new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
                        MainConfig.class);
        ClientBean bean = context.getBean(ClientBean.class);
        bean.doSomething();
    }
}

Output

from config 1

Original Post

This example shows that main configuration for the same beans overrides the imported configuration

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ImportSelector;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

public class MyImportSelector implements ImportSelector {

    @Override
    public String[] selectImports(AnnotationMetadata importingClassMetadata) {
        String prop = System.getProperty("myProp");
        if ("someValue".equals(prop)) {
            return new String[]{MyConfig1.class.getName()};
        } else {
            return new String[]{MyConfig2.class.getName()};
        }
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig1 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 1");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
public class MyConfig2 {
    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from config 2");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Import;

@Configuration
@Import(MyImportSelector.class)
public class MainConfig {

    @Bean
    ClientBean clientBean() {
        return new ClientBean();
    }

    @Bean
    AppBean appBean() {
        return new AppBean("from main config ");
    }

}

package com.logicbig.example;

public class AppBean {
    private String message;

    public AppBean(String message) {
        this.message = message;
    }

    public String getMessage() {
        return message;
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;

public class ClientBean {
    @Autowired
    private AppBean appBean;

    public void doSomething() {
        System.out.println(appBean.getMessage());
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.*;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

public class ImportSelectorPrecedenceDemo {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("myProp", "someValue");

        ApplicationContext context =
                new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
                        MainConfig.class);
        ClientBean bean = context.getBean(ClientBean.class);
        bean.doSomething();
    }
}

Output

from main config

Original Post

Configuration selection with @ComponentScan:

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ImportSelector;
import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationAttributes;
import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;

public class MyImportSelector implements ImportSelector {

    @Override
    public String[] selectImports(AnnotationMetadata importingClassMetadata) {
        String prop = System.getProperty("myProp");
        if ("someValue".equals(prop)) {
            return new String[]{MyConfig2.class.getName()};
        } else {
            return new String[]{MyConfig1.class.getName()};
        }
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
@ComponentScan("com.logicbig.example.service1")
public class MyConfig1 {
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
@ComponentScan("com.logicbig.example.service2")
public class MyConfig2 {

}

package com.logicbig.example;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Import;

@Configuration
@ComponentScan("com.logicbig.example.main")
@Import(MyImportSelector.class)
public class MainConfig {

}

package com.logicbig.example;

public interface AppService {

    void doSomething();
}

package com.logicbig.example.service1;

import com.logicbig.example.AppService;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

@Service
public class AppService1 implements AppService {

    @Override
    public void doSomething() {
        System.out.println("In AppService1");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example.service2;

import com.logicbig.example.AppService;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

@Service
public class AppService2 implements AppService {

    public void doSomething() {
        System.out.println("in bean 2");
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example.main;

import com.logicbig.example.AppService;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

@Component
public class ClientBean {
    @Autowired
    private AppService appBean;

    public void doSomething() {
        appBean.doSomething();
    }
}

package com.logicbig.example;

import com.logicbig.example.main.ClientBean;
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;

public class ImportSelectorWithComponentScanExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("myProp", "someValue");

        ApplicationContext context =
                new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
                        MainConfig.class);
        ClientBean bean = context.getBean(ClientBean.class);
        bean.doSomething();
    }
}

Output

in bean 2

Original Post

Spring Framework - ImportSelector Examples

Output

Output

Output

Output

Output

See Also