Extended coverage of full vs lite mode for configuration classes

Issue: SPR-16076
(cherry picked from commit 17fb4fed09)

src/docs/asciidoc/core/core-beans.adoc

@@ -4517,6 +4517,7 @@ any). These types must be 'wired up' explicitly via XML or using a Spring `@Bean
 ====
 
 
+
 [[beans-autowired-annotation-primary]]
 === Fine-tuning annotation-based autowiring with @Primary
 
@@ -5010,7 +5011,6 @@ Generic qualifiers also apply when autowiring Lists, Maps and Arrays:
 
 
 
-
 [[beans-custom-autowire-configurer]]
 === CustomAutowireConfigurer
 
@@ -6168,27 +6168,37 @@ The `AppConfig` class above would be equivalent to the following Spring `<beans/
 	</beans>
 ----
 
-.Full @Configuration vs 'lite' @Beans mode?
+.Full @Configuration vs 'lite' @Bean mode?
 ****
 When `@Bean` methods are declared within classes that are __not__ annotated with
-`@Configuration` they are referred to as being processed in a 'lite' mode. For example,
+`@Configuration` they are referred to as being processed in a 'lite' mode. Bean methods
-bean methods declared in a `@Component` or even in a __plain old class__ will be
+declared in a `@Component` or even in a __plain old class__ will be considered 'lite',
-considered 'lite'.
+with a different primary purpose of the containing class and an `@Bean` method just
-
+being a sort of bonus there. For example, service components may expose management views
-Unlike full `@Configuration`, lite `@Bean` methods cannot easily declare inter-bean
+to the container through an additional `@Bean` method on each applicable component class.
-dependencies. Usually one `@Bean` method should not invoke another `@Bean` method when
+In such scenarios, `@Bean` methods are a simple general-purpose factory method mechanism.
-operating in 'lite' mode.
+
-
+Unlike full `@Configuration`, lite `@Bean` methods cannot declare inter-bean dependencies.
-Only using `@Bean` methods within `@Configuration` classes is a recommended approach of
+Instead, they operate on their containing component's internal state and optionally on
-ensuring that 'full' mode is always used. This will prevent the same `@Bean` method from
+arguments that they may declare. Such an `@Bean` method should therefore not invoke other
-accidentally being invoked multiple times and helps to reduce subtle bugs that can be
+`@Bean` methods; each such method is literally just a factory method for a particular
-hard to track down when operating in 'lite' mode.
+bean reference, without any special runtime semantics. The positive side-effect here is
+that no CGLIB subclassing has to be applied at runtime, so there are no limitations in
+terms of class design (i.e. the containing class may nevertheless be `final` etc).
+
+In common scenarios, `@Bean` methods are to be declared within `@Configuration` classes,
+ensuring that 'full' mode is always used and that cross-method references will therefore
+get redirected to the container's lifecycle management. This will prevent the same
+`@Bean` method from accidentally being invoked through a regular Java call which helps
+to reduce subtle bugs that can be hard to track down when operating in 'lite' mode.
 ****
 
 The `@Bean` and `@Configuration` annotations will be discussed in depth in the sections
 below. First, however, we'll cover the various ways of creating a spring container using
 Java-based configuration.
 
+
+
 [[beans-java-instantiating-container]]
 === Instantiating the Spring container using AnnotationConfigApplicationContext