Explain the sequence of processing an incoming HTTP request in the Spring MVC framework.

Processing an incoming HTTP request in Spring MVC occurs in several stages:

1. Receiving the request by the server — the request arrives at an embedded or external server (e.g., Tomcat).

2. Dispatching the request with DispatcherServlet — the main front controller of Spring MVC intercepts the request.

3. Finding the appropriate controller — DispatcherServlet uses HandlerMapping to determine which controller and method should handle the request, based on the URL and HTTP method.

4. Calling the controller method — the controller processes the request, retrieves parameters, and executes business logic.

5. Forming the model and selecting the view — the controller returns a ModelAndView or an object that will be transformed into a response.

6. Processing the view with ViewResolver — a template or output format is selected (e.g., JSP, Thymeleaf, JSON).

7. Rendering the response — the final HTTP response is generated and sent to the client.

8. Sending the response to the client — the client receives the formed response.

Thus, Spring MVC ensures a clear separation of request processing, allowing easy management of routing, logic, and presentation.