What is "java-bean"

Javabeans are software components written in the Java programming language. According to the Sun Microsystems specification, Javabeans are "reusable software components that can be visually manipulated with the help of a development tool". A bean can also be defined as a Java class that exposes properties, following a simple Nomeclature convention for getter and Setter methods. Practically they are classes written according to a particular convention. They are used to encapsulate many objects into a single object (the bean), so they can be transmitted as a single object instead of multiple individual objects. Javabean is a Java object that is serializable, has a null constructor and allows access to its properties through getter and Setter methods.

Despite the similarity in the names, Javabeans should not be confused with Enterprise Javabeans, or Ejbs, which are components used on servers and are part of the Java EE platform.