What is the difference between Filters, Interceptors, and Listeners in Spring?

• Filters (Spring Web): Intercept requests and responses at the servlet level. Used for modifying requests/responses, authentication, authorization, logging before the request reaches the controller. Applied to URL patterns.

• Interceptors (Spring MVC): Intercept requests at the Spring MVC level. Work after Filters but before the controller processes the request. Allow actions before (preHandle), after (postHandle), and after completion (afterCompletion). Used for model manipulation, access control at controller level. Applied to controller methods.

• Listeners (Spring Context): React to events in the Spring context. Allow actions on startup or shutdown, on specific event types. Used for resource initialization, cleanup, or tasks on application state changes. Work independently of web requests. Implement ApplicationListener.

Here's a tabular comparison:

Feature	Filters	Interceptors	Listeners
Level	Servlet	Spring MVC	Spring Context
When they run	Before and after servlet	Before, after controller, and completion	On event occurrence
Applied to	URL patterns	Controller methods	Event types
Purpose	Modify request/response, authentication	Model manipulation, controller-level authorization	React to context events
Interface	javax.servlet.Filter	HandlerInterceptor	ApplicationListener