Dagger 2 explanation (MVP + Dagger2 + Retrofit + Realm + Bolts + AndroidAnnotations)

A completion project with support actionbars, network requests, db schema and base classes.

1. Introduction

Presuming that the reader got the need of dagger 2 in nowaday popular android applications. In this sample, I want to figure out dagger 2 usage, I will try to describe dagger things in easiest understanding way included image and snip code. In specific way, this project need to clarify:

• what is module?
• what is component: what is void inject, how to expose object, get object directly from module?
• what is @scope, @qualifier, @name, @retention?
• What is @inject variable, method, constructor?
• More in google guide

2. Explanation

Here are the answers:

• module is where we provide object (what we call dependency, something like new Object we usually pass through constructor parameter), normally module contains many singleton. Some how, you can see module as a scope singleton container.

• component is exactly a bridge (an java interface), a bridge between those objects provided in module with where you need to use them such as: Activity, Fragment, somewhere...

  • void inject syntax for register: if you want inject the objects provided in module to your Activity, you need to delcare this function with argument is your Activity, i.e: void inject(Activity activity)
  • expose, get object: when we need this one. There are 2 cases imo:
    • If an object A in module also need to inject some others object itself, we need to void inject(A a), so we can get object A by delcare a function in component: A getA(). (Should check the source code for more information)
    • If we have a dependency component and we want to expose some object in module for that component (remember that if we dont expose anything, the dependecy component cant use any objects provided in module).

• @scope: is just concept for local singleton, scope works as code validation in compile time

  • Code validation: if your subcomponent declares scope of parent components, the error is occurred.
  • If we add @scope to our component, then we inject an unscope object, it will be re-created every injection times. If we inject @scope marked with object, it will retain same object like singleton behavior. And everything will be re-created if the component re-created.
  • @Singleton scope is misleading term because if your injection object is marked with @Singleton, it was still re-created if the component re-created, so it isn't same as in Java. We shouldn't use @Singleton.

• @qualifier, @name: imagine you have 2 Context variables in same module, to avoid conflict (Dagger 2 cant resolve itself) we need to provide @name to identify them, i.e: @name applicationContext, @name activityContext. The popular usage is for mock request.

• @retention: decide when the annotation existing policies, i.e: runtime... So why we need runtime retention.

• @inject: to inject dependency to relevant class

  • variable: i.e: @Inject App applicationContext, inject your dependency object.
  • method: it works in situation we want to pass class instance itself, the params also are provided from dependency graph. Checkout the explanation dagger 2
  • constructor: indicate that Dagger should create instance of the class, put it in depedency graph also, and if the constructor has params, they are provided from dependency graph. Checkout the explanation dagger 2

Sorry for the long explanations, so in real-world how does dagger 2 work?

3. Project depiction

In brieft description: this project provide some use-cases:

• User can login/logout
• User can see the profile (uid, name, age, gender)
• User can see a report list of top-up transactions

Ofcourse:

• We will check user login/logout by RESTful API (Retrofit + Gson), define by user token. We have another API for request transaction list, request user full info.
• We try to use same transaction list class in 2 places: in a tabview and in an activity, just try to DI by Dagger 2.
• We put everything to DB (Realm) to optimize performance.

So I think its enough for depic denpendency injection by Dagger 2.

Anyway

• We apply MVP design pattern.
• We handle continuous http request by Bolts.

4. Project structure

How does dagger 2 represent: (TBD better with a graph demo)

Class declaration (TBD)

• AppModule: provide application context, provide database manager access, provide login session.
• NetworkModule: provide API client with logging interceptor.
• LoginModule: provide login request.
• UserModule: provide some requests related to user: user info, transaction list
• ---------------
• AppComponent: a bridge
• LoginComponent: a bridge
• UserComponent: a bridge
• ---------------
• @UserScope: for user lifetime, after login successfully
• @ApplicationScope: for entire application
• @LoginScope: just for login circle, sometimes it takes much operations here.

5. Let's start!