With multiple ways to configure using either XML, Annotations or Java Config and the need to remember 100's of annotations and super-lengthy class-names, the Spring framework appears an extremely complex demon that cannot be understood. Moving from a structured programming paradigm where you are completely in control of the program flow and the code you write, framework driven programming is posing a serious challenge. Can anyone suggest an easy way to transition from structured programming to framework driven approach and also suggest the best way to understand and learn spring.
All resources available on the net have learning methods that keep hopping from one topic to another and seldom able to link different topics and explain subtle differences between scored of annotations that spring framework offers.
I have put out this note after investing two full weeks to just get the basics of "Why Spring" and "How to" using spring scouring hundreds of scattered articles on the net. So, I request all the experts out there not to cancel this question since it sounds very subjective with no straight answers.