Chapter 316. SpEL Language

SpEL expressions need to be surrounded by #{ } delimiters since expression templating is enabled. This allows you to combine SpEL expressions with regular text and use this as extremely lightweight template language.

For example if you construct the following route:

from("direct:example")
    .setBody(spel("Hello #{request.body}! What a beautiful #{request.headers['dayOrNight']}"))
    .to("mock:result");

In the route above, notice spel is a static method which we need to import from org.apache.camel.language.spel.SpelExpression.spel, as we use spel as an Expression passed in as a parameter to the setBody method. Though if we use the fluent API we can do this instead:

from("direct:example")
    .setBody().spel("Hello #{request.body}! What a beautiful #{request.headers['dayOrNight']}")
    .to("mock:result");

Notice we now use the spel method from the setBody() method. And this does not require us to static import the spel method from org.apache.camel.language.spel.SpelExpression.spel.

And sent a message with the string "World" in the body, and a header "dayOrNight" with value "day":

template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:example", "World", "dayOrNight", "day");

The output on mock:result will be "Hello World! What a beautiful day"

You can reference beans defined in the Registry (most likely an ApplicationContext) in your SpEL expressions. For example if you have a bean named "foo" in your ApplicationContext you can invoke the "bar" method on this bean like this:

#{@foo.bar == 'xyz'}

You can use SpEL as an expression for Recipient List or as a predicate inside a Message Filter:

<route>
  <from uri="direct:foo"/>
  <filter>
    <spel>#{request.headers['foo'] == 'bar'}</spel>
    <to uri="direct:bar"/>
  </filter>
</route>

And the equivalent in Java DSL:

from("direct:foo")
    .filter().spel("#{request.headers['foo'] == 'bar'}")
    .to("direct:bar");