The JavaBeans specifcation defnes a bean to be a reusable software

component that can be manipulated visually in a builder tool. In other words,

the JavaBeans API specifes a component software model in which the
components are referred to as beans.
A simple example of a bean is any of the Java AWT components such as a
button, though a bean could contain just about any Java code regardless of
complexity. Additionally, not every bean must draw something to the screen.
The JavaBeans architecture allows the application developer to quickly
and easily construct a full featured Java program simply by connecting
together one or more prewritten beans in a visual bean manipulation program
referred to as a beanbox. Beans may also be assembled into an application by
hand coding.
Each bean exports a well defned list of properties, events, and methods
that may be accessed by other beans. A property represents a parameter
internal to the bean whose value can be programmatically queried or set.
Beans communicate with the "outside world" through events and public
methods.