As far as I can see, Patrick ported the stuff from sandbox app to showcase app as is (and setup isn't too complicated)
But I am facing a quite strange error now when trying to invoke one of the actions being configured to have Spring inject some properties:

ERROR (com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.DispatcherUtils:195) - Could not execute action
com.opensymphony.xwork.XworkException: Unable to instantiate Action, com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.action.SkillAction, defined for 'list' in namespace '/skill'Error creating bean with name 'com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.action.SkillAction' defined in null: Error setting property values; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessExceptionsException: PropertyAccessExceptionsException (1 errors); nested propertyAccessExceptions are: [org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException: Failed to convert property value of type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] to required type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] for property 'skillDao']
    with nested exception
org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.action.SkillAction' defined in null: Error setting property values; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessExceptionsException: PropertyAccessExceptionsException (1 errors); nested propertyAccessExceptions are: [org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException: Failed to convert property value of type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] to required type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] for property 'skillDao']
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.createAction(DefaultActionInvocation.java:233)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.init(DefaultActionInvocation.java:309)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.<init>(DefaultActionInvocation.java:70)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.<init>(DefaultActionInvocation.java:63)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxyFactory.createActionInvocation(DefaultActionProxyFactory.java:28)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxy.prepare(DefaultActionProxy.java:150)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxy.<init>(DefaultActionProxy.java:73)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxyFactory.createActionProxy(DefaultActionProxyFactory.java:39)
at com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.DispatcherUtils.serviceAction(DispatcherUtils.java:174)
at com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.FilterDispatcher.doFilter(FilterDispatcher.java:184)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:186)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:157)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:214)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invokeInternal(StandardContextValve.java:198)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:152)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:137)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:102)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:929)
at org.apache.coyote.tomcat5.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:160)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:799)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:705)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:577)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:683)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:534)
with nested exception org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.action.SkillAction' defined in null: Error setting property values; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessExceptionsException: PropertyAccessExceptionsException (1 errors); nested propertyAccessExceptions are: [org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException: Failed to convert property value of type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] to required type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] for property 'skillDao']
org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.action.SkillAction' defined in null: Error setting property values; nested exception is org.springframework.beans.PropertyAccessExceptionsException: PropertyAccessExceptionsException (1 errors); nested propertyAccessExceptions are: [org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException: Failed to convert property value of type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] to required type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] for property 'skillDao']
PropertyAccessExceptionsException (1 errors)
org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException: Failed to convert property value of type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] to required type [com.opensymphony.webwork.showcase.dao.SkillDao] for property 'skillDao'
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.doTypeConversionIfNecessary(BeanWrapperImpl.java:839)
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.setPropertyValue(BeanWrapperImpl.java:584)
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.setPropertyValue(BeanWrapperImpl.java:469)
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.setPropertyValue(BeanWrapperImpl.java:626)
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.setPropertyValues(BeanWrapperImpl.java:653)
at org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapperImpl.setPropertyValues(BeanWrapperImpl.java:642)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.applyPropertyValues(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1023)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.populateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:824)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.autowireBeanProperties(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:200)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.spring.SpringObjectFactory.autoWireBean(SpringObjectFactory.java:151)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.spring.SpringObjectFactory.buildBean(SpringObjectFactory.java:138)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.spring.SpringObjectFactory.buildBean(SpringObjectFactory.java:115)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.ObjectFactory.buildAction(ObjectFactory.java:96)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.createAction(DefaultActionInvocation.java:214)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.init(DefaultActionInvocation.java:309)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.<init>(DefaultActionInvocation.java:70)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.<init>(DefaultActionInvocation.java:63)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxyFactory.createActionInvocation(DefaultActionProxyFactory.java:28)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxy.prepare(DefaultActionProxy.java:150)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxy.<init>(DefaultActionProxy.java:73)
at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionProxyFactory.createActionProxy(DefaultActionProxyFactory.java:39)
at com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.DispatcherUtils.serviceAction(DispatcherUtils.java:174)
at com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.FilterDispatcher.doFilter(FilterDispatcher.java:184)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:186)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:157)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:214)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invokeInternal(StandardContextValve.java:198)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:152)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:137)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:118)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:102)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardValveContext.invokeNext(StandardValveContext.java:104)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:520)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:929)
at org.apache.coyote.tomcat5.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:160)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:799)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:705)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:577)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:683)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:534)