What is the difference between a standard Java object and a Bean in the Spring Framework?

In the context of the Spring Framework, the difference between a standard Java object and a Spring Bean is as follows:

• Standard Java Object — is simply an instance of a class created using the new operator. It is not managed by any container and does not have additional capabilities.

• Spring Bean — is an object that is created, configured, and managed by the Spring IoC container. Spring Beans support features such as dependency injection, lifecycle management (initialization, destruction), aspect-oriented programming (AOP), and configuration via annotations or XML.

Example:

@Component
public class MyService {
    // This class will be automatically created and managed by Spring as a Bean
}

// Elsewhere
@Autowired
private MyService myService; // Bean injection

Thus, a Spring Bean is an object that Spring creates and controls, providing flexibility and extensibility to the application.