StdSchedulerFactory is an implementation of the org.quartz.SchedulerFactory interface. It uses a set of properties (java.util.Properties) to create and initialize a Quartz Scheduler. The properties are generally stored in and loaded from a file, but can also be created by your program and handed directly to the factory. Simply calling getScheduler() on the factory will produce the scheduler, initialize it (and its ThreadPool, JobStore and DataSources), and return a handle to its public interface.

There are some sample configurations (including descriptions of the properties) in the "docs/config" directory of the Quartz distribution. You can find complete documentation in the document Quartz Scheduler Example Programs and Sample Code.

DirectSchedulerFactory is another SchedulerFactory implementation. It is useful if you want to create your own Scheduler instance in a more programmatic way. Its use is generally discouraged for the following reasons: (1) it requires an in-depth understanding of the Scheduler and (2) it does not allow for declarative configuration, (meaning you must hard-code the scheduler's settings).