return null; // nothing to process
            }
            final Object bean = instantiateObject(implType);
            if (null == value) {
                processConfiguration(lookup, bean, loader, configuration, evaluator, listener);
            } else {
                // Use optimized helper for better performance

        BeanExpressionEvaluator evaluator = new BeanExpressionEvaluator(request);

        ObjectWithFieldsConverter converter = new EnhancedConfigurationConverter();

        try {
            converter.processConfiguration(
                    converterLookup, request.getBean(), classLoader, plexusConfig, evaluator, null);
        } catch (ComponentConfigurationException e) {