Dependency Injection (DI) is a design pattern that allows classes to define their dependencies without creating them. It's a fundamental concept in building scalable and maintainable applications. NestJS, being a TypeScript framework for building efficient and scalable server-side applications, heavily utilizes dependency injection. Here's a guide on how to implement Dependency Injection in NestJS:
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Understanding Providers:
In NestJS, services, repositories, and other classes that are managed by the NestJS IoC (Inversion of Control) container are called providers. Providers are classes decorated with
@Injectable()
decorator.import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common'; @Injectable() export class ExampleService { // Service logic here }
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Registering Providers:
To make NestJS aware of providers, they need to be registered in modules. Modules encapsulate related functionality and serve as a way to organize code in NestJS applications.
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common'; import { ExampleService } from './example.service'; @Module({ providers: [ExampleService], exports: [ExampleService], // If this service needs to be accessible in other modules }) export class ExampleModule {}
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Constructor Injection:
Dependency injection is primarily achieved through constructor injection in NestJS. When a class requires an instance of another class, you simply declare it as a parameter in the constructor.
import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common'; import { ExampleService } from './example.service'; @Injectable() export class AnotherService { constructor(private readonly exampleService: ExampleService) {} // Use exampleService methods here }
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Using Dependencies:
Once a dependency is injected, you can use it within the class just like any other property or method.
import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common'; import { ExampleService } from './example.service'; @Injectable() export class AnotherService { constructor(private readonly exampleService: ExampleService) {} someMethod() { return this.exampleService.someFunction(); } }
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Custom Providers:
You can define custom providers by implementing interfaces or extending classes. This is particularly useful for integrating third-party libraries or abstracting functionality.
import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common'; import { CustomLibrary } from 'custom-library'; @Injectable() export class CustomProvider { constructor(private readonly customLibrary: CustomLibrary) {} someMethod() { return this.customLibrary.someFunction(); } }
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Scope of Providers:
Providers in NestJS can be either
SINGLETON or TRANSIENT
. By default, they areSINGLETON
, meaning the same instance is shared across the entire application. You can make a providerTRANSIENT
, which creates a new instance each time it's requested.import { Injectable, Scope } from '@nestjs/common'; @Injectable({ scope: Scope.TRANSIENT }) export class TransientService { // Transient service logic }
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Circular Dependencies:
Avoid circular dependencies as much as possible, as they can lead to runtime errors. If you encounter a circular dependency, consider refactoring your code to remove it.
Dependency Injection is a powerful technique for managing dependencies in NestJS applications. By following the principles outlined in this guide, you can build scalable, maintainable, and testable applications with ease.