Here are 5 steps:

☛ Read bean file XML (or process annotations). Build internal "map" of beans and determine dependency tree.

☛ Post process the definitions - e.g. resolve ${variables}

☛ Allocate objects - dependency inject constructor args and invoke setter.

☛ Perform any initialisation - 3 approachs: @PostConstruct, init-method, InitializingBean

☛ Bean post-processors - e.g. wrap with proxy, @Required