What does the Spring ApplicationContext do?

Explains configuration loading, bean-definition processing, dependency resolution, lifecycle, events, resources, and environment access.

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An ApplicationContext loads configuration metadata, registers bean definitions, creates and wires beans, applies container extension points, and manages supported lifecycle callbacks. It also exposes application events, resources, message resolution, and the environment. A bean definition is the container's recipe for a managed object: its type or factory, scope, dependencies, initialization behavior, and other metadata. The context is more than a map, even though beans can be queried from it.

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The context is the configured runtime container that turns bean definitions into a managed application graph.
An ApplicationContext loads configuration metadata, registers bean definitions, creates and wires beans, applies container extension points, and manages supported lifecycle callbacks. It also exposes application events, resources, message resolution, and the environment. A bean definition is the container's recipe for a managed object: its type or factory, scope, dependencies, initialization behavior, and other metadata. The context is more than a map, even though beans can be queried from it.
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During refresh, post-processors can change definitions or participate in bean creation, and singleton beans are normally created eagerly unless configured otherwise. Creation of one bean can trigger its dependency graph. A bean may be wrapped in a proxy before consumers receive it, so the runtime object can differ from the raw target class. Application code should normally receive dependencies through injection instead of passing the context around.

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Treating the context as a global service locator.
Equating a bean definition with an already-created object.
Running remote work in static initialization.

What does the Spring ApplicationContext do?

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