I have created a spring configuration file that works well.

My next step was to separate user configuration properties from system properties.

I have decided to create additional xml file with beans that will be configured by the user.

I had problem to create few such logical beans encapsulating properties that will be used by real class beans:

I have found over the net an option to reference proprieties in such way:

UserConf.xml

```
<bean id="numberGuess" class="x...">
    <property name="randomNumber" value="5"/>

    <!-- other properties -->
</bean>

```

SystemConf.xml

```
<import resource="UserConf.xml" />

<bean id="shapeGuess" class="y...">
    <property name="initialShapeSeed" value="#{ numberGuess.randomNumber }"/>

    <!-- other properties -->
</bean>

```

But my problem is that i need `x...` class to be something logical that shouldn't be initialized at all, and i don't want it to disclose any info of the class hierarchy of the system since it should be only in use configuration xml file.

**Solution1** is to create a Java object representing this proprieties:

```
public class MyProps(...)

```

and add a bean parent in the spring system configuration:

```
<bean id="MyProps" class="path to MyProps"/>

```

in the user side change the previous bean to be:

```
<bean id="numberGuess" parent="MyProps">
    <property name="randomNumber" value="5"/>

    <!-- other properties -->
</bean>

```

**Solution2** is to use flat configuration file just like Database.props, and load it using factory.

**Solution3** is to use Spring Property Placeholder configuration to load properties from XML properties file (e.g. [example](http://rvsoni.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/spring-property-placeholder-configuration-to-load-properties-from-xml-properties-file/)), but here i simply don't know how to get a more complex nested structure of properties (properties need to be separated by different logical names, e.g. minNumber will be defined both under xAlgo and y algo).

I don't like to create new Java class only to deal with this problem or to move my user configuration to a flat props file (i need the xml structure), is their any other solution??