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Quick Overview
Dagger is a fast dependency injection framework for Java, Kotlin, and Android. It generates fully static, compile-time dependency injection code, eliminating reflection and improving performance. Dagger is maintained by Google and is widely used in Android development.
Pros
- Compile-time dependency injection, resulting in faster runtime performance
- Generates human-readable code, making it easier to debug and understand
- Supports both Java and Kotlin, with excellent Android integration
- Provides compile-time error checking for dependency graphs
Cons
- Steep learning curve, especially for developers new to dependency injection
- Can lead to verbose code and boilerplate in some cases
- Configuration can be complex for large projects
- Limited runtime flexibility compared to dynamic dependency injection frameworks
Code Examples
- Defining a component:
@Component
interface MyComponent {
MyService getMyService();
}
- Providing dependencies:
@Module
class MyModule {
@Provides
static MyDependency provideMyDependency() {
return new MyDependency();
}
}
- Injecting dependencies:
class MyClass {
@Inject
MyDependency myDependency;
@Inject
MyClass() {}
}
- Using the component:
MyComponent component = DaggerMyComponent.create();
MyService service = component.getMyService();
Getting Started
- Add Dagger dependencies to your project's
build.gradle
:
dependencies {
implementation 'com.google.dagger:dagger:2.44'
annotationProcessor 'com.google.dagger:dagger-compiler:2.44'
}
- Create a module to provide dependencies:
@Module
class AppModule {
@Provides
static SomeService provideSomeService() {
return new SomeServiceImpl();
}
}
- Define a component interface:
@Component(modules = AppModule.class)
interface AppComponent {
SomeService getSomeService();
}
- Build and use the component:
AppComponent component = DaggerAppComponent.create();
SomeService service = component.getSomeService();
Competitor Comparisons
A fast dependency injector for Android and Java.
Pros of Dagger (Square)
- More mature and stable, with a longer history of development and community support
- Offers a simpler API and easier learning curve for beginners
- Provides better documentation and more extensive examples
Cons of Dagger (Square)
- Less frequent updates and slower adoption of new features
- Limited support for newer Android development paradigms like Jetpack Compose
- Larger generated code size compared to Google's version
Code Comparison
Dagger (Square):
@Module
public class CoffeeModule {
@Provides
Heater provideHeater() {
return new ElectricHeater();
}
}
Dagger (Google):
@Module
interface CoffeeModule {
@Binds
Heater bindHeater(ElectricHeater impl);
}
The Square version uses the @Provides
annotation with a method implementation, while the Google version uses @Binds
with an abstract method, resulting in more concise code and potentially better performance.
Both Dagger implementations aim to provide dependency injection for Java and Android, but they differ in their approach and feature set. The Square version is more established and easier to learn, while the Google version offers more modern features and better integration with newer Android development practices.
Guice (pronounced 'juice') is a lightweight dependency injection framework for Java 11 and above, brought to you by Google.
Pros of Guice
- Simpler setup and configuration, especially for smaller projects
- More flexible and dynamic dependency injection at runtime
- Better support for method injection and optional bindings
Cons of Guice
- Slower performance due to runtime reflection
- Larger runtime footprint and increased memory usage
- Less compile-time safety and error checking
Code Comparison
Guice:
public class RealBillingService implements BillingService {
@Inject
public RealBillingService(CreditCardProcessor processor,
TransactionLog transactionLog) {
// ...
}
}
Dagger:
@Module
public class BillingModule {
@Provides
static BillingService provideBillingService(
CreditCardProcessor processor,
TransactionLog transactionLog) {
return new RealBillingService(processor, transactionLog);
}
}
Summary
Guice offers simplicity and flexibility, making it suitable for smaller projects and rapid development. It excels in runtime adaptability but sacrifices performance and compile-time safety. Dagger, on the other hand, provides better performance and compile-time verification at the cost of a steeper learning curve and more verbose configuration. The choice between the two depends on project requirements, team expertise, and performance considerations.
A scope tree based Dependency Injection (DI) library for Java / Kotlin / Android.
Pros of Toothpick
- Simpler API and easier to learn, especially for beginners
- Faster compilation times due to its runtime-based approach
- More flexible and allows for easier runtime modifications
Cons of Toothpick
- Less mature and less widely adopted compared to Dagger
- May have slightly lower performance at runtime
- Fewer advanced features and integrations with other libraries
Code Comparison
Toothpick:
@Inject
public MyClass(Dependency dependency) {
// Constructor injection
}
Toothpick.inject(this, Toothpick.openScope(this));
Dagger:
@Inject
public MyClass(Dependency dependency) {
// Constructor injection
}
@Component
interface MyComponent {
void inject(MyClass myClass);
}
DaggerMyComponent.create().inject(this);
Both Toothpick and Dagger are dependency injection frameworks for Java and Android, but they have different approaches. Toothpick focuses on simplicity and runtime flexibility, while Dagger emphasizes compile-time safety and performance. Toothpick may be easier for beginners to grasp, but Dagger's widespread adoption and robust feature set make it a popular choice for larger projects. The choice between the two depends on project requirements, team expertise, and performance considerations.
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Dagger
A fast dependency injector for Java and Android.
Dagger is a compile-time framework for dependency injection. It uses no reflection or runtime bytecode generation, does all its analysis at compile-time, and generates plain Java source code.
Dagger is actively maintained by Google. Snapshot releases are auto-deployed to
Sonatype's central Maven repository on every clean build with the version
HEAD-SNAPSHOT
. The current version builds upon previous work done at Square.
Documentation
You can find the dagger documentation here which has extended usage instructions and other useful information. More detailed information can be found in the API documentation.
You can also learn more from the original proposal, this talk by Greg Kick, and on the dagger-discuss@googlegroups.com mailing list.
Installation
Bazel
First, import the Dagger repository into your WORKSPACE
file using
http_archive
.
Note: The http_archive
must point to a tagged release of Dagger, not just any
commit. The version of the Dagger artifacts will match the version of the tagged
release.
# Top-level WORKSPACE file
load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
DAGGER_TAG = "2.52"
DAGGER_SHA = "4062fa2cda8dab32d1961fb10ed50f40aca759149efb64dd5a08077a6fcb2fbc"
http_archive(
name = "dagger",
strip_prefix = "dagger-dagger-%s" % DAGGER_TAG,
sha256 = DAGGER_SHA,
urls = ["https://github.com/google/dagger/archive/dagger-%s.zip" % DAGGER_TAG],
)
Next you will need to setup targets that export the proper dependencies and plugins. Follow the sections below to setup the dependencies you need.
Dagger Setup
First, load the Dagger artifacts and repositories, and add them to your list of
maven_install
artifacts.
# Top-level WORKSPACE file
load("@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl", "DAGGER_ARTIFACTS", "DAGGER_REPOSITORIES")
maven_install(
artifacts = DAGGER_ARTIFACTS + [...],
repositories = DAGGER_REPOSITORIES + [...],
)
Next, load and call dagger_rules
in your top-level BUILD
file:
# Top-level BUILD file
load("@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl", "dagger_rules")
dagger_rules()
This will add the following Dagger build targets: (Note that these targets already export all of the dependencies and processors they need).
deps = [
":dagger", # For Dagger
":dagger-spi", # For Dagger SPI
":dagger-producers", # For Dagger Producers
]
Dagger Android Setup
First, load the Dagger Android artifacts and repositories, and add them to your
list of maven_install
artifacts.
# Top-level WORKSPACE file
load(
"@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl",
"DAGGER_ANDROID_ARTIFACTS",
"DAGGER_ANDROID_REPOSITORIES"
)
maven_install(
artifacts = DAGGER_ANDROID_ARTIFACTS + [...],
repositories = DAGGER_ANDROID_REPOSITORIES + [...],
)
Next, load and call dagger_android_rules
in your top-level BUILD
file:
# Top-level BUILD file
load("@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl", "dagger_android_rules")
dagger_android_rules()
This will add the following Dagger Android build targets: (Note that these targets already export all of the dependencies and processors they need).
deps = [
":dagger-android", # For Dagger Android
":dagger-android-support", # For Dagger Android (Support)
]
Hilt Android Setup
First, load the Hilt Android artifacts and repositories, and add them to your
list of maven_install
artifacts.
# Top-level WORKSPACE file
load(
"@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl",
"HILT_ANDROID_ARTIFACTS",
"HILT_ANDROID_REPOSITORIES"
)
maven_install(
artifacts = HILT_ANDROID_ARTIFACTS + [...],
repositories = HILT_ANDROID_REPOSITORIES + [...],
)
Next, load and call hilt_android_rules
in your top-level BUILD
file:
# Top-level BUILD file
load("@dagger//:workspace_defs.bzl", "hilt_android_rules")
hilt_android_rules()
This will add the following Hilt Android build targets: (Note that these targets already export all of the dependencies and processors they need).
deps = [
":hilt-android", # For Hilt Android
":hilt-android-testing", # For Hilt Android Testing
]
Other build systems
You will need to include the dagger-2.x.jar
in your application's runtime.
In order to activate code generation and generate implementations to manage
your graph you will need to include dagger-compiler-2.x.jar
in your build
at compile time.
Maven
In a Maven project, include the dagger
artifact in the dependencies section
of your pom.xml
and the dagger-compiler
artifact as an
annotationProcessorPaths
value of the maven-compiler-plugin
:
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.google.dagger</groupId>
<artifactId>dagger</artifactId>
<version>2.x</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<version>3.6.1</version>
<configuration>
<annotationProcessorPaths>
<path>
<groupId>com.google.dagger</groupId>
<artifactId>dagger-compiler</artifactId>
<version>2.x</version>
</path>
</annotationProcessorPaths>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
If you are using a version of the maven-compiler-plugin
lower than 3.5
, add
the dagger-compiler
artifact with the provided
scope:
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.google.dagger</groupId>
<artifactId>dagger</artifactId>
<version>2.x</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.google.dagger</groupId>
<artifactId>dagger-compiler</artifactId>
<version>2.x</version>
<scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
If you use the beta dagger-producers
extension (which supplies
parallelizable execution graphs), then add this to your maven configuration:
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.google.dagger</groupId>
<artifactId>dagger-producers</artifactId>
<version>2.x</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
Gradle
// Add Dagger dependencies
dependencies {
implementation 'com.google.dagger:dagger:2.x'
annotationProcessor 'com.google.dagger:dagger-compiler:2.x'
}
If you're using classes in dagger.android
you'll also want to include:
implementation 'com.google.dagger:dagger-android:2.x'
implementation 'com.google.dagger:dagger-android-support:2.x' // if you use the support libraries
annotationProcessor 'com.google.dagger:dagger-android-processor:2.x'
Notes:
- We use
implementation
instead ofapi
for better compilation performance.- See the Gradle documentation for more information on how to select appropriately, and the Android Gradle plugin documentation for Android projects.
- For Kotlin projects, use
kapt
in place ofannotationProcessor
.
If you're using the Android Databinding library, you may want to
increase the number of errors that javac
will print. When Dagger prints an
error, databinding compilation will halt and sometimes print more than 100
errors, which is the default amount for javac
. For more information, see
Issue 306.
gradle.projectsEvaluated {
tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
options.compilerArgs << "-Xmaxerrs" << "500" // or whatever number you want
}
}
Resources
If you do not use maven, gradle, ivy, or other build systems that consume maven-style binary artifacts, they can be downloaded directly via the Maven Central Repository.
Developer snapshots are available from Sonatype's snapshot repository, and are built on a clean build of the GitHub project's master branch.
Building Dagger
License
Copyright 2012 The Dagger Authors
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
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