Other Features

Garbage Collection

A garbage collector is included in distage by default. Given a set of GC root keys, GC will remove all bindings that are neither direct nor transitive dependencies of the supplied roots ? these bindings will be thrown out and never instantiated.

GC serves two important purposes:

• It enables faster tests by omitting unrequired instantiations and initialization of potentially heavy resources,
• It enables multiple independent applications, aka “Roles” to be hosted within a single .jar file.

To use garbage collector, pass GC roots as an argument to Injector.produce* methods:

import distage._

case class A(b: B)
case class B()
case class C() {
  println("C!")
}

val module = new ModuleDef {
  make[A]
  make[B]
  make[C]
}
// module: AnyRef with ModuleDef = Set(SingletonBinding({type.repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.C},TypeImpl(repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.C),Set(),(other-features.md:28)), SingletonBinding({type.repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.A},TypeImpl(repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.A),Set(),(other-features.md:26)), SingletonBinding({type.repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.B},TypeImpl(repl.Session::repl.Session.App0::repl.Session.App0.B),Set(),(other-features.md:27)))

val gc = GCMode.GCRoots(Set[DIKey](DIKey.get[A]))
// gc: package.GCMode.GCRoots = GCRoots(
//   Set(
//     TypeKey(
//       SafeType(TypeRef(ThisType(class App0), class A, List()), Session::App0::A)
//     )
//   )
// )

val locator = Injector().produceUnsafe(module, mode = gc)
// locator: Locator = izumi.distage.LocatorDefaultImpl@4ce5d63e

// A and B are here
locator.find[A]
// res1: Option[A] = Some(A(B()))
locator.find[B]
// res2: Option[B] = Some(B())

// C was not created
locator.find[C]
// res3: Option[C] = None

Class C was removed because neither B nor A depended on it. It’s not present in the Locator and the "C!" message was never printed. But, if class B were to depend on C as in case class B(c: C), it would’ve been retained, because A - the GC root, would depend on B which in turns depends on C.

Auto-Traits

…

Auto-Factories

distage can automatically create ‘factory’ classes from suitable traits. This feature is especially useful with Akka.

Given a class ActorFactory:

import distage._
import java.util.UUID

class SessionStorage

class UserActor(sessionId: UUID, sessionStorage: SessionStorage)

trait ActorFactory {
  def createActor(sessionId: UUID): UserActor
}

And a binding of ActorFactory without an implementation

class ActorModule extends ModuleDef {
  make[ActorFactory]
}

distage will derive and bind the following implementation for ActorFactory:

class ActorFactoryImpl(sessionStorage: SessionStorage) extends ActorFactory {
  override def createActor(sessionId: UUID): UserActor = {
    new UserActor(sessionId, sessionStorage)
  }
}

You can use this feature to concisely provide non-singleton semantics for some of your components.

By default, the factory implementation class will be created automatically at runtime. To create factories at compile-time use distage-static module.

Plugins

Plugins are a distage extension that allows you to automatically pick up all Plugin modules that are defined in specified package on the classpath.

Plugins are especially useful in scenarios with extreme late-binding, when the list of loaded application modules is not known ahead of time. Plugins are compatible with compile-time checks as long as they’re defined in a separate module.

To use plugins add distage-plugins library:

libraryDependencies += Izumi.R.distage_plugins

or

libraryDependencies += "io.7mind.izumi" %% "distage-plugins" % "0.9.4"

If you’re not using sbt-izumi-deps plugin.

Create a module extending the PluginDef trait instead of ModuleDef:

package com.example.petstore

import distage._
import distage.plugins._

trait PetStorePlugin extends PluginDef {
  make[PetRepository]
  make[PetStoreService]
  make[PetStoreController]
}

At your app entry point use a plugin loader to discover all PluginDefs:

val pluginLoader = new PluginLoaderDefaultImpl(
  PluginConfig(
    debug = true
  , packagesEnabled = Seq("com.example.petstore") // packages to scan
  , packagesDisabled = Seq.empty         // packages to ignore
  )
)

val appModules: Seq[PluginBase] = pluginLoader.load()
val app: ModuleBase = appModules.merge

Launch as normal with the loaded modules:

Injector().produce(app).use {
  _.get[PetStoreController].run
}

Plugins also allow a program to extend itself at runtime by adding new Plugin classes to the classpath via java -cp

Compile-Time Instantiation

WIP

You can participate in this ticket at https://github.com/7mind/izumi/issues/453

Compile-Time Checks

As of now, an experimental plugin-checking API is available in distage-app module.

To use it add distage-app library:

libraryDependencies += Izumi.R.distage_app

or

libraryDependencies += "io.7mind.izumi" %% "distage-app" % "0.9.4"

If you’re not using sbt-izumi-deps plugin.

Only plugins defined in a different module can be checked at compile-time, test scope counts as a different module.

Example:

In main scope:

// src/main/scala/com/example/AppPlugin.scala
package com.example
import distage._
import distage.plugins._
import distage.config._
import izumi.distage.app.ModuleRequirements

final case class HostPort(host: String, port: Int)

final case class Config(hostPort: HostPort)

final class Service(conf: Config @ConfPath("config"), otherService: OtherService)

// OtherService class is not defined here, even though Service depends on it
final class AppPlugin extends PluginDef {
  make[Service]
}

// Declare OtherService as an external dependency
final class AppRequirements extends ModuleRequirements(
  // If we remove this line, compilation will rightfully break
  Set(DIKey.get[OtherService])
)

In config:

// src/main/resources/application.conf
// We are going to check if our starting configuration is correct as well.
config {
  // If we remove these, the compilation will rightfully break, as the `HostPort` case class won't deserialize from the config
  host = localhost
  port = 8080
}

In test scope:

// src/test/scala/com/example/test/AppPluginTest.scala
package com.example.test

import com.example._
import org.scalatest.WordSpec
import izumi.distage.app.StaticPluginChecker

final class AppPluginTest extends WordSpec {
  
  "App plugin will work (if OtherService will be provided later)" in {
    StaticPluginChecker.checkWithConfig[AppPlugin, AppRequirements](disableTags = "", configFileRegex = "*.application.conf")   
  }

}

checkWithConfig will run at compile-time, every time that AppPluginTest is recompiled.

You can participate in this ticket at https://github.com/7mind/izumi/issues/51

Roles

“Roles” are a pattern of multi-tenant applications, in which multiple separate microservices all reside within a single .jar. This strategy helps cut down development, maintenance and operations costs associated with maintaining fully separate code bases and binaries. Apps are chosen via command-line parameters: ./launcher app1 app2 app3. If you’re not launching all apps hosted by the launcher at the same time, the redundant components from unlaunched apps will be garbage collected and won’t be started.

consult slides Roles: a viable alternative to Microservices for more details.

distage-roles module hosts the current experimental Roles API:

libraryDependencies += Izumi.R.distage_roles

or

libraryDependencies += "io.7mind.izumi" %% "distage-roles" % "0.9.4"

If you’re not using sbt-izumi-deps plugin.

Circular Dependencies support

distage automatically resolves circular dependencies, including self-reference:

import distage._

case class A(b: B)
case class B(a: A) 
case class C(c: C)

val locator = Injector().produce(new ModuleDef {
  make[A]
  make[B]
  make[C]
})

locator.get[A] eq locator.get[B].a
// res0: Boolean = true
locator.get[B] eq locator.get[A].b
// res1: Boolean = true
locator.get[C] eq locator.get[C].c
// res2: Boolean = true

Automatic Resolution with generated proxies

The above strategy depends on distage-proxy-cglib module which is brought in by default with distage-core.

It’s enabled by default. If you want to disable it, use noCogen bootstrap environment:

import izumi.distage.bootstrap.DefaultBootstrapContext
import distage._

Injector(DefaultBootstrapContext.noCogen)

Manual Resolution with by-name parameters

Most cycles can also be resolved manually when identified, using by-name parameters.

Circular dependencies in the following example are all resolved via Scala’s native by-name’s, without any proxy generation:

import izumi.distage.bootstrap.DefaultBootstrapContext.noCogen
import distage._

class A(b0: => B) {
  def b: B = b0
}

class B(a0: => A) {
  def a: A = a0
}

class C(self: => C) {
  def c: C = self
}

val module = new ModuleDef {
  make[A]
  make[B]
  make[C]
}

val locator = Injector(noCogen).produce(module)

assert(locator.get[A].b eq locator.get[B])
assert(locator.get[B].a eq locator.get[A])
assert(locator.get[C].c eq locator.get[C])

The proxy generation via cglib is still enabled by default, because in scenarios with extreme late-binding, cycles can emerge unexpectedly, outside of control of the origin module.

NB: Currently a limitation applies to by-names - ALL dependencies on a class engaged in a by-name circular dependency have to be by-name, otherwise distage will transparently revert to generating proxies.

Auto-Sets: Collecting Bindings By Predicate

AutoSet Planner Hooks traverse the plan and collect all future objects matching a predicate.

Using Auto-Sets you can e.g. collect all AutoCloseable classes and .close() them after the application has finished work.

NOTE: please use Resource bindings for real lifecycle, this is just an example.

trait PrintResource(name: String) {
  def start(): Unit = println(s"$name started")
  def stop(): Unit = println(s"$name stopped")
}

class A extends PrintResource("A")
class B(val a: A) extends PrintResource("B")
class C(val b: B) extends PrintResource("C")

val resources = Injector(new BootstrapModuleDef {
  many[PlanningHook]
    .add(new AssignableFromAutoSetHook[PrintResource])
}).produce(new ModuleDef {
  make[C]
  make[B]
  make[A]
}).get[Set[PrintResource]]

resources.foreach(_.start())
resources.reverse.foreach(_.stop())

// Will print:
// A started
// B started
// C started
// C stopped
// B stopped
// A stopped

Calling .foreach on an auto-set is safe; the actions will be executed in order of dependencies. Auto-Sets preserve ordering, they use ListSet under the hood, unlike user-defined Sets. e.g. If C depends on B depends on A, autoset order is: A, B, C, to start call: A, B, C, to close call: C, B, A. When you use auto-sets for finalization, you must .reverse the autoset.

Note: Auto-Sets are NOT subject to Garbage Collection, they are assembled after garbage collection is done, as such they can’t contain garbage by construction.

NOTE: please use Resource bindings for real lifecycle, this is just an example.

Weak Sets

Set bindings can contain weak references. References designated as weak will be retained by Garbage Collector only if there are other references to them except the set binding itself.

Example:

import distage._

sealed trait SetElem

final class Strong extends SetElem {
  println("Strong constructed")
}

final class Weak extends SetElem {
  println("Weak constructed")
}

val module = new ModuleDef {
  make[Strong]
  make[Weak]
  
  many[SetElem]
    .ref[Strong]
    .weak[Weak]
}

// Designate Set[SetElem] as the garbage collection root,
// everything that Set[SetElem] does not strongly depend on will be garbage collected
// and will not be constructed. 
val roots = Set[DIKey](DIKey.get[Set[SetElem]])

val locator = Injector().produceUnsafe(HACK_OVERRIDE_module, roots = roots)

locator.get[Set[SetElem]].size == 1
// res0: Boolean = true

The Weak class was not required in any dependency of Set[SetElem], so it was pruned. The Strong class remained, because the reference to it was strong, therefore it was counted as a dependency of Set[SetElem]

If we change Strong to depend on Weak, then Weak will be retained:

final class Strong(weak: Weak) {
  println("Strong constructed")
}

locator.get[Set[SetElem]].size == 2
// res1: Boolean = true

Cats Integration

Additional cats instances and syntax are available automatically without imports if cats-core or cats-effect are already dependencies of your project. (Note: distage won’t bring cats as a dependency if you don’t already use it. See No More Orphans for the technique)

Cats Resource Bindings will also work out of the box without any magic imports.

Example:

import cats.implicits._
import cats.effect._
import distage._
import com.example.{DBConnection, AppEntrypoint}

object Main extends IOApp {
  def run(args: List[String]): IO[Unit] = {
    // ModuleDef has a Monoid instance
    val myModules = module1 |+| module2
    
    for {
      // resolveImportsF can effectfully add missing instances to an existing plan
      // (You can create instances effectfully beforehand via `make[_].fromEffect` bindings)
      plan <- myModules.resolveImportsF[IO] {
        case i if i.target == DIKey.get[DBConnection] =>
           DBConnection.create[IO]
      } 
      // `produceF` specifies an Effect to run in; 
      // Effect used in Resource and Effect Bindings 
      // should match the effect in `produceF`
      classes <- Injector().produceF[IO](plan)
      _ <- classes.get[AppEntrypoint].run
    } yield ()
  }
}