With Unity how do I inject a named dependency into a constructor?

Solution 1:

You can configure dependencies with or without names in the API, attributes, or via the config file. You didn't mention XML above, so I'll assume you're using the API.

To tell the container to resolve a named dependency, you'll need to use an InjectionParameter object. For your ClientModel example, do this:

container.RegisterType<IClientModel, ClientModel>(
    new InjectionConstructor(                        // Explicitly specify a constructor
        new ResolvedParameter<IRepository>("Client") // Resolve parameter of type IRepository using name "Client"
    )
);

This tells the container "When resolving ClientModel, call the constructor that takes a single IRepository parameter. When resolving that parameter, resolve with the name 'Client' in addition to the type."

If you wanted to use attributes, your example almost works, you just need to change the attribute name:

public ClientModel([Dependency("Client")] IRepository dataAccess)
{
   this.dataAccess = dataAccess;

   .....
}

Solution 2:

This is a very late response but the question still shows up in Google.

So anyways, 5 years later...

I have a pretty simple approach. Usually when you need to use "named dependency" it's because you're trying to implement some kind of strategy pattern. In that case, I simply create a level of indirection between Unity and the rest of my code called the StrategyResolver to not be directly depending on Unity.

public class StrategyResolver : IStrategyResolver
{
    private IUnityContainer container;

    public StrategyResolver(IUnityContainer unityContainer)
    {
        this.container = unityContainer;
    }

    public T Resolve<T>(string namedStrategy)
    {
        return this.container.Resolve<T>(namedStrategy);
    }
}

Usage:

public class SomeClass: ISomeInterface
{
    private IStrategyResolver strategyResolver;

    public SomeClass(IStrategyResolver stratResolver)
    {
        this.strategyResolver = stratResolver;
    }

    public void Process(SomeDto dto)
    {
        IActionHandler actionHanlder = this.strategyResolver.Resolve<IActionHandler>(dto.SomeProperty);
        actionHanlder.Handle(dto);
    }
}

Registration:

container.RegisterType<IActionHandler, ActionOne>("One");
container.RegisterType<IActionHandler, ActionTwo>("Two");
container.RegisterType<IStrategyResolver, StrategyResolver>();
container.RegisterType<ISomeInterface, SomeClass>();

Now, the nice thing about this is that I will never have to touch the StrategyResolver ever again when adding new strategies in the future.

It's very simple. Very clean and I kept the dependency on Unity to a strict minimum. The only time I would have touch the StrategyResolver is if I decide to change container technology which is very unlikely to happen.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I don't really like the accepted answer because when you use the Dependency attribute in your service's constructor you actually have a hard dependency on Unity. The Dependency attribute is part of the Unity library. At that point you might as well pass an IUnityContainer dependency everywhere.

I prefer having my service classes depend on objects that I completely own instead of having a hard dependency on an external library all over the place. Also using Dependency attribute makes the constructors signatures less clean and simple.

Furthermore, this technique allows to resolve named dependencies at runtime without having to hardcode the named dependencies in the constructor, in the application configuration file or use InjectionParameter which are all methods that require to know what named dependency to use at design time.

Edit (2016-09-19): For those that might wonder, the container will know to pass itself when you are requesting IUnityContainer as dependency, as shown in the StrategyResolver constructor signature.

Edit (2018-10-20): Here's another way, simply using a factory:

public class SomeStrategyFactory : ISomeStrategyFactory
{
    private IStrategy _stratA;
    private IStrategy _stratB;

    public SomeFactory(IStrategyA stratA, IStrategyB stratB)
    {
        _stratA = stratA;
        _stratB = stratB;
    }

    public IStrategy GetStrategy(string namedStrategy){
        if (namedStrategy == "A") return _stratA;
        if (namedStrategy == "B") return _stratB;
    }
}

public interface IStrategy {
    void Execute();
}

public interface IStrategyA : IStrategy {}

public interface IStrategyB : IStrategy {}

public class StrategyA : IStrategyA {
    public void Execute(){}
}

public class StrategyB : IStrategyB {
    public void Execute() {}
}

Usage:

public class SomeClass : ISomeClass
{
    public SomeClass(ISomeStrategyFactory strategyFactory){

        IStrategy strat = strategyFactory.GetStrategy("HelloStrategy");
        strat.Execute();

    }
}

Registration:

container.RegisterType<ISomeStrategyFactory, SomeStrategyFactory>();
container.RegisterType<IStrategyA, StrategyA>();
container.RegisterType<IStrategyB, StrategyB>();
container.RegisterType<ISomeClass, SomeClass>();

This 2nd suggestion is the same thing but using the factory design pattern.

Hope this helps!

Solution 3:

You should be able to use ParameterOverrides

var repository = IOC.Container.Resolve<IRepository>("Client");
var clientModel = IOC.Container.Resolve<ClientModel>(new ParameterOverrides<ClientModel> { {"dataAccess", repository } } );

edit: I'm not sure why you're passing around the UnityContainer - personally, we inject our dependencies into the constructor themselves (which is "normal" from what I've seen). But regardless, you can specify a name in your RegisterType and Resolve methods.

IOC.Container.RegisterType<IRepository, GenericRepository>("Client");
IOC.Container.Resolve<IRepository>("Client");

and it will give you the type you registered for that name.