<context-param>  
    <param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name>  
    <param-value>  
        classpath:applicationContext.xml  
    </param-value>  
</context-param>  
<listener>  
    <listener-class>org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener</listener-class>  
</listener>  
 

在tomcat啟動時，spring通過上述配置會初始化spring容器，注入applicationContext.xml中配置的bean以及其他一些配置。

public class ContextLoaderListener extends ContextLoader implements ServletContextListener {

    public ContextLoaderListener() {
    }
    public ContextLoaderListener(WebApplicationContext context) {
        super(context);
    }
    @Override
    public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent event) {
        initWebApplicationContext(event.getServletContext());
    }
    @Override
    public void contextDestroyed(ServletContextEvent event) {
        closeWebApplicationContext(event.getServletContext());
        ContextCleanupListener.cleanupAttributes(event.getServletContext());
    }
}
 

ContextLoderListener實現ServletContextListener介面，而該介面繼承java的監聽標記介面EventListener，表示當servlet容器啟動時，就會接受通知，進而進行一系列的初始化操作。

public interface ServletContextListener extends EventListener {

    /**
     * Receives notification that the web application initialization
     * process is starting.
     *
     * <p>All ServletContextListeners are notified of context
     * initialization before any filters or servlets in the web
     * application are initialized.
     *
     * @param sce the ServletContextEvent containing the ServletContext
     * that is being initialized
     */
    public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent sce);

    /**
     * Receives notification that the ServletContext is about to be
     * shut down.
     *
     * <p>All servlets and filters will have been destroyed before any
     * ServletContextListeners are notified of context
     * destruction.
     *
     * @param sce the ServletContextEvent containing the ServletContext
     * that is being destroyed
     */
    public void contextDestroyed(ServletContextEvent sce);
}
 

spring的具體初始化工作均在父類ContextLoder中進行，具體初始化步驟如下：

判斷是否已經存在WebApplicationContext(spring容器)，如果存在，則丟擲異常。 建立WebApplicationContext容器，從web.xml中獲取context-param名稱為contextClass的value，該類必須實現WebApplicationContext介面，如果沒有指定，則預設使用xmlWebApplicationContext。 判斷建立的WebApplicationContext容器是否為ConfigurableApplicationContext的例項或子類，如果是，則判斷該容器是否至少重新整理一次並且還沒有關閉（是否有效），如果無效，則重新設定容器的id，並載入對應的contextConfigLocation配置（spring配置)， 載入父容器，spring提供一個模板方法，如果需要配置父容器，可以繼承ContextLoder，並覆蓋loadParentContext方法。 執行緒繫結容器

/**
     * Initialize Spring's web application context for the given servlet context,
     * using the application context provided at construction time, or creating a new one
     * according to the "{@link #CONTEXT_CLASS_PARAM contextClass}" and
     * "{@link #CONFIG_LOCATION_PARAM contextConfigLocation}" context-params.
     * @param servletContext current servlet context
     * @return the new WebApplicationContext
     * @see #ContextLoader(WebApplicationContext)
     * @see #CONTEXT_CLASS_PARAM
     * @see #CONFIG_LOCATION_PARAM
     */
    public WebApplicationContext initWebApplicationContext(ServletContext servletContext) {
        if (servletContext.getAttribute(WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE) != null) {
            throw new IllegalStateException(
                    "Cannot initialize context because there is already a root application context present - " +
                    "check whether you have multiple ContextLoader* definitions in your web.xml!");
        }

        Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(ContextLoader.class);
        servletContext.log("Initializing Spring root WebApplicationContext");
        if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
            logger.info("Root WebApplicationContext: initialization started");
        }
        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

        try {
            // Store context in local instance variable, to guarantee that
            // it is available on ServletContext shutdown.
            if (this.context == null) {
                //建立容器
                this.context = createWebApplicationContext(servletContext);
            }
            if (this.context instanceof ConfigurableWebApplicationContext) {
                ConfigurableWebApplicationContext cwac = (ConfigurableWebApplicationContext) this.context;
                if (!cwac.isActive()) {
                    // The context has not yet been refreshed -> provide services such as
                    // setting the parent context, setting the application context id, etc
                    if (cwac.getParent() == null) {
                        // The context instance was injected without an explicit parent ->
                        // determine parent for root web application context, if any.
                        ApplicationContext parent = loadParentContext(servletContext);
                        cwac.setParent(parent);
                    }
                    //如果容器無效，則重置contextId，且重新載入contextConfigLocation配置
                    configureAndRefreshWebApplicationContext(cwac, servletContext);
                }
            }
            servletContext.setAttribute(WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE, this.context);
            //執行緒繫結容器context
            ClassLoader ccl = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
            if (ccl == ContextLoader.class.getClassLoader()) {
                currentContext = this.context;
            }
            else if (ccl != null) {
                currentContextPerThread.put(ccl, this.context);
            }

            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                logger.debug("Published root WebApplicationContext as ServletContext attribute with name [" +
                        WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE + "]");
            }
            if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
                long elapsedTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;
                logger.info("Root WebApplicationContext: initialization completed in " + elapsedTime + " ms");
            }

            return this.context;
        }
        catch (RuntimeException ex) {
            logger.error("Context initialization failed", ex);
            servletContext.setAttribute(WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE, ex);
            throw ex;
        }
        catch (Error err) {
            logger.error("Context initialization failed", err);
            servletContext.setAttribute(WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE, err);
            throw err;
        }
    }