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What is the difference between DI container and service locator pattern?

Senior PHP
Quick Answer DI container autowires dependencies automatically - declare what you need in constructor and the container resolves it. Service locator lets you pull dependencies yourself by name from a global registry. DI container is preferred: dependencies are explicit, testable, and the object does not know about the container. Service locator hides dependencies, makes code harder to test, and is considered an anti-pattern.

Answer

DI containers inject dependencies automatically. Service locator hides dependencies and reduces testability.
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