Preface

As I write this in August 2012, I find it difficult to believe that nearly five years have passed since we officially launched the Spring Integration project. I guess, as they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and I would add that it flies even faster (especially the weekends) when you’re writing a book. For those who have been anxiously awaiting a print copy since this book project was first announced in Manning’s Early Access Program, I hope you find it worth the wait.

One thing is certain: the authors are true subject matter experts. Each of my coauthors has contributed to the framework, and many of the chapters are written by the one person most intimately familiar with the topic at hand. In a few cases, new features were even added to the framework based on ideas that originated in the book. The degree of expertise is most apparent, however, in the frequent discussions about design decisions and the trade-offs involved. In those sections, I believe the reader will fully recognize that the authors’ perspectives have been shaped by real-world experience building enterprise integration solutions.