Java Spring Integration Framework … or more on Camel

In a previous post I have described the Apache Camel framework and also the a .. revelation or a change of view for the integration issue. I’m glad to see that in Java Spring Based Integration Framework another usage of the framework came out.  But more the less, there is a correction needed to be made. In the above  posting, it is stated that :

Apache Camel is a Spring based Integration Framework which implements the Enterprise Integration Patterns with powerful Bean Integration.

Correct, but not exactly ... Camel is not a Spring Based Integration Framework. It has been used for Spring integration, but not only. As I have stated,

Camel is a Java API that allows you to do message routing very easily. It implements many of the patterns found in Enterprise Integration Patterns. It doesn't require a container and can be run in any Java-based environment. Camel has a whole bunch of components (Bruce is showing a 6 x 10 grid with a component name in each grid. In other words, there's 60 components that Camel can use. Examples include: ActiveMQ, SQL, Velocity, File and iBATIS).

and the blog continues nicely…

Camel lets you create the Enterprise Integration Patterns to implement routing and mediation rules in either a Java based Domain Specific Language (or Fluent API), via Spring based Xml Configuration files or via the Scala DSL. This means you get smart completion of routing rules in your IDE whether in your Java, Scala or XML editor.

Apache Camel uses URIs so that it can easily work directly with any kind of Transport or messaging model such as HTTP, ActiveMQ, JMS, JBI, SCA, MINA or CXF Bus API together with working with pluggable Data Format options. Apache Camel is a small library which has minimal dependencies for easy embedding in any Java application.

Apache Camel can be used as a routing and mediation engine for the following projects:

• Apache ActiveMQ which is the most popular and powerful open source message broker
• Apache CXF which is a smart web services suite (JAX-WS)
• Apache MINA a networking framework
• Apache ServiceMix which is the most popular and powerful distributed open source ESB and JBI container