Simple dependency injection#

Dependency injection (DI) might sound complex, but it's simply the process of having a reference passed to an object.

Implementation#

1. Create an initializer method#

The method should receive the references your class requires as parameters, which are then assigned locally.

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private Example _example1;
private Example _example2;

public void Initialise(Example example1, Example example2)
{
    _example1 = example1;
    _example2 = example2;
}

If you aren't using a UnityEngine.Object subtype you can use contructors and variable initializers, and don't need to make an Initialise method.

[Header("References")]
[SerializeField] private Example _example1;
[SerializeField] private Example _example2;

public void Spawn()
{
    var instance = Instantiate(_prefab);
    instance.Initialise(_example1, _example2);
}

Now your instance has references to those objects without having directly referenced them itself.

Notes#

Awake#

Awake is called as soon as an object is created, so your instance will not be initialised yet. Don't attempt to use the references at this point.

Object pooling#

This is a common pattern when used with object pooling, as you can call your initializer method again and reset the instance's configuration, allowing it to be reused anew.

Third-party frameworks#

There are third-party DI frameworks that attempt to automate complex chains of dependencies, but you should learn the basics before assessing whether they suit you, they aren't for everyone!