.NET - What IoC Container framework would you recommend to a beginner in this area? [closed]

Answer 1

I would say StructureMap. It is one of the more mature framework and really easy to use. Moreover it can integrate well with NMock to create mock objects which are invaluable for unit testing. The Microsoft supported framework is Unity so you may look at that as well.

Answer 2

There is a great book out by Mark Seemann called Dependency Injection In .Net. The latter half of the book covers 6 popular frameworks in enough detail to get a feel for them. It's worth a look to help a new person decide. He also covers poor man's dependency injection for those not ready to try a container, but want to at least write their application in a manner that can easily be converted to use an IoC container.

The containers he covers are:

• Castle Windsor
• StructureMap
• Spring.Net
• Autofac
• Unity
• MEF (though I believe he says that MEF isn't exactly an IoC container)

Answer 3

Danial Cazzulino has a bunch (scrunch?) of screencasts on creating the Funq DI Container. Funq is lightweight and fast but lacks some of the bells and whistles of the larger, more established frameworks.

I use the Funq-derived Munq which is also lightweight and fast and is a simple way to add a DI Container to MVC3 projects via Nuget. Up to now I haven't found any need to move to a different framework - Munq has been very adequate.