python-dependency-injector/docs/providers/singleton.rst

Singleton providers
-------------------

.. currentmodule:: dependency_injector.providers

:py:class:`Singleton` provider creates new instance of specified class on 
first call and returns same instance on every next call.

Example:

.. image:: /images/providers/singleton.png
    :width: 80%
    :align: center

.. literalinclude:: ../../examples/providers/singleton.py
   :language: python
   :linenos:

Singleton providers resetting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Created and memorized by :py:class:`Singleton` instance can be reset. Reset of
:py:class:`Singleton`'s memorized instance is done by clearing reference to 
it. Further lifecycle of memorized instance is out of :py:class:`Singleton` 
provider's control and depends on garbage collection strategy.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: ../../examples/providers/singleton_resetting.py
   :language: python
   :linenos:

Singleton providers and injections
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:py:class:`Singleton` provider has same interface as :py:class:`Factory` 
provider, so, all of the rules about injections are the same, as for 
:py:class:`Factory` provider.

.. note::

    Due that :py:class:`Singleton` provider creates specified class instance 
    only on the first call, all injections are done once, during the first 
    call. Every next call, while instance has been already created 
    and memorized, no injections are done, :py:class:`Singleton` provider just 
    returns memorized earlier instance.

    This may cause some problems, for example, in case of trying to bind
    :py:class:`Factory` provider with :py:class:`Singleton` provider (provided 
    by dependent :py:class:`Factory` instance will be injected only once, 
    during the first call). Be aware that such behaviour was made with opened 
    eyes and is not a bug.

    By the way, in such case, :py:class:`Delegate` or 
    :py:class:`DelegatedSingleton` provider can be useful 
    . It makes possible to inject providers *as is*. Please check out 
    `Singleton providers delegation`_ section.

Singleton providers delegation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:py:class:`Singleton` provider could be delegated to any other provider via 
any kind of injection. 

Delegation of :py:class:`Singleton` providers is the same as 
:py:class:`Factory` providers delegation, please follow 
:ref:`factory_providers_delegation` section for examples (with exception 
of using :py:class:`DelegatedSingleton` instead of
:py:class:`DelegatedFactory`).

Singleton providers specialization
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:py:class:`Singleton` provider could be specialized for any kind of needs via 
declaring its subclasses. 

Specialization of :py:class:`Singleton` providers is the same as 
:py:class:`Factory` providers specialization, please follow 
:ref:`factory_providers_specialization` section for examples.

Abstract singleton providers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:py:class:`AbstractSingleton` provider is a :py:class:`Singleton` provider that
must be explicitly overridden before calling.

Behaviour of :py:class:`AbstractSingleton` providers is the same as of
:py:class:`AbstractFactory`, please follow :ref:`abstract_factory_providers`
section for examples (with exception of using :py:class:`AbstractSingleton`
provider instead of :py:class:`AbstractFactory`).

Singleton providers and multi-threading
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:py:class:`Singleton` provider is NOT thread-safe and should be used in  
multi-threading applications with manually controlled locking.

:py:class:`ThreadSafeSingleton` is a thread-safe version of 
:py:class:`Singleton` and could be used in multi-threading applications 
without any additional locking.

Also there could be a need to use thread-scoped singletons and there is a 
special provider for such case - :py:class:`ThreadLocalSingleton`.
:py:class:`ThreadLocalSingleton` provider creates instance once for each 
thread and returns it on every call.

Example:

.. literalinclude:: ../../examples/providers/singleton_thread_locals.py
   :language: python
   :linenos:


.. disqus::