Dependency Injection: The Container Pattern

Imagine a world where your application is as modular as a Swiss Army knife. Welcome to Dependency Injection, where you get to wield the power of the Container Pattern.

What is the Container Pattern?

A container, not to be confused with a box of cereal, is an object that creates and manages other objects. It's like a factory, but with more attitude.

Think of it like a coffee shop:

• The Container Pattern is the Barista.
• Dependency Injection is the coffee beans.
• Components are the drinks.

When you ask the Barista for a Venti Iced Mocha, he says "Okay, I'll need some coffee beans, milk, and a few other things. Let me just pull them out of the container for you."

Example Time!

Here's a simple example of the Container Pattern in action:

        <dependency>
        </dependency>
    

See how it's all self-describing and everything?

But Wait, There's More!

You can also use this pattern to inject dependencies into your application. Like a Venti Iced Mocha with extra shot:

        <dependency>
            <component id="milk"&/&>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <component id="coffee-beans"&/&>
        </dependency>
        <component id="container"&/&>
            <inject id="milk" type="milk"/>
            <inject id="coffee-beans" type="coffee-beans"/>
        </component>
        <component id="drink"&/&>
            <property name="milk" value="milk"/>
            <property name="coffee-beans" value="coffee-beans"/>
        </component>
    

And just like that, you've injected your dependencies into your application!

Stay tuned for more advanced techniques, and remember, always keep your dependencies loose!