What is the difference between Service Locator and Dependency Injection?

What is the difference between Service Locator and Dependency Injection?

Service Locator is a design pattern that provides a central registry for services, while Dependency Injection is a technique for passing dependencies directly to a class.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In Service Locator, a class requests a service from a locator. In Dependency Injection, a class receives its dependencies through its constructor.

Which one is better to use?

It depends on the context. Dependency Injection promotes better testability and decoupling, while Service Locator can be simpler in some scenarios.

Are there any downsides to using Dependency Injection?

Yes, it can lead to more complex code and configuration, especially in large applications. However, the benefits often outweigh the downsides.