README

A straightforward PSR-11 dependency injection container with automatic constructor dependency resolution.

I designed the autowiring initially for Infection's own use with focus on simplicity and zero configuration, building on the existing implementation by Maks Rafalko and Théo Fidry.

Installation

composer require sanmai/di-container

Features

• Automatically resolves class dependencies through reflection
• Objects are created once and reused
• Resolve interfaces to concrete implementations

Quick Start

use DIContainer\Container;

$container = new Container();

// Automatic resolution - no configuration needed
$service = $container->get(YourService::class);

// Use builder objects for complex construction, or construct the dependencies directly - your choice
$container = new Container([
    ComplexObject::class => fn(Container $container) => new ComplexObject(
        $container->get(LoggerInterface::class),
        $container->get(AnotherProvider::class)->getValue()
    ),
    DatabaseInterface::class => fn(Container $container) =>
        $container->get(DatabaseBuilder::class)->build(),
]);

// Set additional dependencies on the fly
$container->set(LoggerInterface::class, fn() => new FileLogger('debug.log'));

$service = $container->get(ServiceNeedingDatabase::class); // Auto-injects database

The order in which you define your services is not important, as dependencies are only resolved when they are requested.

That said, injected pre-built instance instances override prior dependencies for that ID, but a later set() or bind() overrides again.

Builder Objects

Builder objects can encapsulate arbitrary complex construction logic. They can use dependency injection, which makes them cohesive, independently testable, and reusable.

use DIContainer\Builder;

/**
 * Builder that accepts injectable dependencies.
 *
 * @implements Builder<DatabaseInterface>
 */
class DatabaseBuilder implements Builder
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly ConfigProvider $config,
        private readonly Logger $logger
    ) {}

    public function build(): DatabaseInterface
    {
        return new MySQLDatabase(
            $this->config->getDatabaseHost(),
            $this->config->getDatabaseCredentials(),
            $this->logger
        );
    }
}

The Builder interface uses a covariant template (@template-covariant T), so PHPStan correctly validates that your builder's return type matches the declared template parameter.

When you implement the Builder interface, you can simply provide the builder class name instead of a closure. The container automatically detects builder classes and handles the instantiation and build() method call.

// 1. Direct class name, if the class implements DIContainer\Builder interface
$container = new Container([
    DatabaseInterface::class => DatabaseBuilder::class,
]);

// 2. Explicit closure - what will the container do under the hood
$container = new Container([
    DatabaseInterface::class => fn(Container $container) => $container->get(DatabaseBuilder::class)->build(),
]);

For setting dependencies on the fly, there's a handy set() method that accepts both callables and builders.

Non-Class Service IDs

For non-class service IDs (e.g., 'app.repository'), use the bind() method or the $bindings constructor parameter:

// Register with a dotted ID - type validation is skipped
$container = new Container(
    values: [
        LoggerInterface::class => FileLogger::class,
    ],
    bindings: [
        'app.repository' => fn() => new CachedRepository(new DatabaseRepository()),
        'app.cache' => CacheBuilder::class,
    ]
);

// Or add bindings on the fly
$container->bind('app.mailer', fn() => new MyMailer());

// Builder classes work too
$container->bind('app.session', SessionBuilder::class);

$repository = $container->get('app.repository');

The bind() method and $bindings parameter accept both callables and builder class names, just like set(), but without class-string type constraints on the service ID.

Pre-Built Instances

Use inject() to store objects that were created outside the container:

$logger = new FileLogger('app.log');
$container->inject(LoggerInterface::class, $logger);

Design Philosophy

This container prioritizes simplicity, predictability, and architectural purity. It achieves this through:

• Predictable autowiring; there are no complex background scans or fragile naming conventions.
• Lack of surprises; the container will only resolve an interface if it can find exactly one registered factory or builder that produces a compatible implementation. It will never guess, ensuring the dependency graph is always clear, just as your day is worry-free.
• Constructor-only dependency injection; the container intentionally avoids complex features, such as property/method injection or injection of variadic/composite types beyond default values. This approach promotes cleaner, more testable class designs.

The container resolves interfaces using a straightforward rule: when a dependency is an interface, it looks for exactly one registered factory or a builder that produces a compatible object.

This approach allows you to wire dependencies without explicitly linking an implementation to an interface; the container connects them logically as long as the relationship is unambiguous.

The container omits circular dependency checks for simplicity, an issue that even the most minimal automatic test will immediately reveal.

Testing

make -j -k

Benchmarking

make benchmark

Runs PHPBench with OPcache and JIT enabled.