MCPInstall

dependency-injection-patterns

Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods. Group related services into composable Add methods for clean Program.cs and reusable configuration in tests.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads dependency-injection-patterns automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Dependency Injection Patterns

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

  • Organizing service registrations in ASP.NET Core applications
  • Avoiding massive Program.cs/Startup.cs files with hundreds of registrations
  • Making service configuration reusable between production and tests
  • Designing libraries that integrate with Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection

Reference Files

  • advanced-patterns.md: Testing with DI extensions, Akka.NET actor scope management, conditional/factory/keyed registration patterns

The Problem

Without organization, Program.cs becomes unmanageable:

// BAD: 200+ lines of unorganized registrations
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddScoped<IUserRepository, UserRepository>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IOrderRepository, OrderRepository>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IProductRepository, ProductRepository>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<IUserService, UserService>();
// ... 150 more lines ...

Problems: hard to find related registrations, no clear boundaries, can't reuse in tests, merge conflicts.


The Solution: Extension Method Composition

Group related registrations into extension methods:

// GOOD: Clean, composable Program.cs
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services
    .AddUserServices()
    .AddOrderServices()
    .AddEmailServices()
    .AddPaymentServices()
    .AddValidators();

var app = builder.Build();

Extension Method Pattern

Basic Structure

namespace MyApp.Users;

public static class UserServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddUserServices(this IServiceCollection services)
    {
        services.AddScoped<IUserRepository, UserRepository>();
        services.AddScoped<IUserReadStore, UserReadStore>();
        services.AddScoped<IUserWriteStore, UserWriteStore>();
        services.AddScoped<IUserService, UserService>();
        services.AddScoped<IUserValidationService, UserValidationService>();

        return services;
    }
}

With Configuration

namespace MyApp.Email;

public static class EmailServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddEmailServices(
        this IServiceCollection services,
        string configSectionName = "EmailSettings")
    {
        services.AddOptions<EmailOptions>()
            .BindConfiguration(configSectionName)
            .ValidateDataAnnotations()
            .ValidateOnStart();

        services.AddSingleton<IMjmlTemplateRenderer, MjmlTemplateRenderer>();
        services.AddSingleton<IEmailLinkGenerator, EmailLinkGenerator>();
        services.AddScoped<IUserEmailComposer, UserEmailComposer>();
        services.AddScoped<IEmailSender, SmtpEmailSender>();

        return services;
    }
}

File Organization

Place extension methods near the services they register:

src/
  MyApp.Api/
    Program.cs                    # Composes all Add* methods
  MyApp.Users/
    Services/
      UserService.cs
    UserServiceCollectionExtensions.cs   # AddUserServices()
  MyApp.Orders/
    OrderServiceCollectionExtensions.cs  # AddOrderServices()
  MyApp.Email/
    EmailServiceCollectionExtensions.cs  # AddEmailServices()

Convention: {Feature}ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs next to the feature's services.


Naming Conventions

PatternUse For
Add{Feature}Services()General feature registration
Add{Feature}()Short form when unambiguous
Configure{Feature}()When primarily setting options
Use{Feature}()Middleware (on IApplicationBuilder)

Testing Benefits

The Add* pattern lets you reuse production configuration in tests and only override what's different. Works with WebApplicationFactory, Akka.Hosting.TestKit, and standalone ServiceCollection.

See advanced-patterns.md for complete testing examples.


Layered Extensions

For larger applications, compose extensions hierarchically:

public static class AppServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddAppServices(this IServiceCollection services)
    {
        return services
            .AddDomainServices()
            .AddInfrastructureServices()
            .AddApiServices();
    }
}

public static class DomainServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddDomainServices(this IServiceCollection services)
    {
        return services
            .AddUserServices()
            .AddOrderServices()
            .AddProductServices();
    }
}

Akka.Hosting Integration

The same pattern works for Akka.NET actor configuration:

public static class OrderActorExtensions
{
    public static AkkaConfigurationBuilder AddOrderActors(
        this AkkaConfigurationBuilder builder)
    {
        return builder
            .WithActors((system, registry, resolver) =>
            {
                var orderProps = resolver.Props<OrderActor>();
                var orderRef = system.ActorOf(orderProps, "orders");
                registry.Register<OrderActor>(orderRef);
            });
    }
}

// Usage in Program.cs
builder.Services.AddAkka("MySystem", (builder, sp) =>
{
    builder
        .AddOrderActors()
        .AddInventoryActors()
        .AddNotificationActors();
});

See akka-hosting-actor-patterns skill for complete Akka.Hosting patterns.


Anti-Patterns

Don't: Register Everything in Program.cs

// BAD: Massive Program.cs with 200+ lines of registrations

Don't: Create Overly Generic Extensions

// BAD: Too vague, doesn't communicate what's registered
public static IServiceCollection AddServices(this IServiceCollection services) { ... }

Don't: Hide Important Configuration

// BAD: Buried settings
public static IServiceCollection AddDatabase(this IServiceCollection services)
{
    services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
        options.UseSqlServer("hardcoded-connection-string"));  // Hidden!
}

// GOOD: Accept configuration explicitly
public static IServiceCollection AddDatabase(
    this IServiceCollection services,
    string connectionString)
{
    services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
        options.UseSqlServer(connectionString));
}

Best Practices Summary

PracticeBenefit
Group related services into Add* methodsClean Program.cs, clear boundaries
Place extensions near the services they registerEasy to find and maintain
Return IServiceCollection for chainingFluent API
Accept configuration parametersFlexibility
Use consistent naming (Add{Feature}Services)Discoverability
Test by reusing production extensionsConfidence, less duplication

Lifetime Management

LifetimeUse WhenExamples
SingletonStateless, thread-safe, expensive to createConfiguration, HttpClient factories, caches
ScopedStateful per-request, database contextsDbContext, repositories, user context
TransientLightweight, stateful, cheap to createValidators, short-lived helpers
// SINGLETON: Stateless services, shared safely
services.AddSingleton<IMjmlTemplateRenderer, MjmlTemplateRenderer>();

// SCOPED: Database access, per-request state
services.AddScoped<IUserRepository, UserRepository>();

// TRANSIENT: Cheap, short-lived
services.AddTransient<CreateUserRequestValidator>();

Scoped services require a scope. ASP.NET Core creates one per HTTP request. In background services and actors, create scopes manually.

See advanced-patterns.md for actor scope management patterns.


Common Mistakes

Injecting Scoped into Singleton

// BAD: Singleton captures scoped service - stale DbContext!
public class CacheService  // Registered as Singleton
{
    private readonly IUserRepository _repo;  // Scoped - captured at startup!
}

// GOOD: Inject IServiceProvider, create scope per operation
public class CacheService
{
    private readonly IServiceProvider _serviceProvider;

    public async Task<User> GetUserAsync(string id)
    {
        using var scope = _serviceProvider.CreateScope();
        var repo = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IUserRepository>();
        return await repo.GetByIdAsync(id);
    }
}

No Scope in Background Work

// BAD: No scope for scoped services
public class BadBackgroundService : BackgroundService
{
    private readonly IOrderService _orderService;  // Scoped - will throw!
}

// GOOD: Create scope for each unit of work
public class GoodBackgroundService : BackgroundService
{
    private readonly IServiceScopeFactory _scopeFactory;

    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken ct)
    {
        using var scope = _scopeFactory.CreateScope();
        var orderService = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IOrderService>();
        // ...
    }
}

Resources

FAQ

What does the dependency-injection-patterns skill do?

Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods. Group related services into composable Add methods for clean Program.cs and reusable configuration in tests.

How do I install dependency-injection-patterns?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/dependency-injection-patterns/ (personal) or .claude/skills/dependency-injection-patterns/ (project).

Which AI agents can use dependency-injection-patterns?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is dependency-injection-patterns safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains dependency-injection-patterns?

It is published by aaronontheweb in aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills. It has 676 recorded installs.

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