Agent skill

Dependency Injection Patterns

by Aaronontheweb in Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills

Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Dependency Injection Patterns

skills CLI
$ npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills dependency-injection-patterns --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/microsoft-extensions-dependency-injection .claude/skills/dependency-injection-patterns && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
dependency-injection-patterns
GitHub stars
1.2k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~2.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
339 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
33
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods.

  • Tasks that involve Design patterns
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use This Skill, Reference Files, The Problem and The Solution: Extension Method…, plus 11 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Dependency Injection Patterns is an agent skill from Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills. Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods. Group related services into composable Add methods for clean Program.cs and reusable configuration in tests.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file (for example `advanced-patterns.md`).

It sits in Development, covering Design patterns. The repository describes itself as: Claude Code skills and sub-agents for .NET Developers. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Design patterns

Example prompts

  • “/dependency-injection-patterns”

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit e426ed9. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are csharp).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • learn.microsoft.com
    • github.com
    • getakka.net

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Dependency Injection Patterns loads about 2.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 52 tokens; SKILL.md has 339 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~52
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills at commit e426ed9, republished under its MIT licence (© Aaronontheweb). 339 words, ~2,437 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/dependency-injection-patterns/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
dependency-injection-patterns
description
Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods. Group related services into composable Add* methods for clean Program.cs and reusable configuration in tests.
invocable
false

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:

csharp
// 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:

csharp
// 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
csharp
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
csharp
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:

csharp
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:

csharp
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
csharp
// BAD: Massive Program.cs with 200+ lines of registrations
Don't: Create Overly Generic Extensions
csharp
// BAD: Too vague, doesn't communicate what's registered
public static IServiceCollection AddServices(this IServiceCollection services) { ... }
Don't: Hide Important Configuration
csharp
// 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
csharp
// 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
csharp
// 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
csharp
// 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

© Aaronontheweb, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in skills/microsoft-extensions-dependency-injection of Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • advanced-patterns.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit e426ed9

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

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Categories

Questions about Dependency Injection Patterns

What does Dependency Injection Patterns do?

Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods. Dependency Injection Patterns is an agent skill from Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills. Organize DI registrations using IServiceCollection extension methods.

When should I use Dependency Injection Patterns?

Dependency Injection Patterns fits situations like: tasks that involve Design patterns.

How do I install Dependency Injection Patterns in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/microsoft-extensions-dependency-injection in Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills) into .claude/skills/dependency-injection-patterns in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Dependency Injection Patterns in Codex?

Run `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/microsoft-extensions-dependency-injection in Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills) into .agents/skills/dependency-injection-patterns in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Dependency Injection Patterns in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill dependency-injection-patterns -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/dependency-injection-patterns, .gemini/skills/dependency-injection-patterns, .github/skills/dependency-injection-patterns and .opencode/skills/dependency-injection-patterns in your project.

What does Dependency Injection Patterns need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Dependency Injection Patterns is instructions for the agent only.

Does Dependency Injection Patterns access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. As links in the text: learn.microsoft.com, github.com and getakka.net. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Dependency Injection Patterns safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Dependency Injection Patterns use?

Dependency Injection Patterns is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Dependency Injection Patterns use?

About 2.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Dependency Injection Patterns?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Dependency Injection Patterns: Swiftui View Refactor (Dimillian/Skills, 4k stars), RTK Rust Design Patterns (rtk-ai/rtk, 83k stars), Effect Client Wrapper (UsefulSoftwareCo/executor, 4.1k stars) and Architecture Patterns (KartikLabhshetwar/better-shot, 2.4k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Dependency Injection Patterns?

Aaronontheweb (a GitHub user) maintains it in Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills, which has 1,202 GitHub stars. The repository holds 33 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 17, 2026.

Source: Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.