Nicolas Fränkel • 7/12/2026

Making ServiceLoader usable: a provider factory

This article discusses the limitations of Java's ServiceLoader, specifically the no-argument constructor requirement and lack of selection mechanism. The author proposes a pattern where a small factory (ServiceProvider) is loaded instead of the service itself, allowing services to have any constructor and enabling selection via ID, priority, and configuration support. The approach is illustrated with a mock payments system using Stripe and PayPal, and can be applied to JSON or JWT handling for better decoupling and vendor independence.

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#dependency injection #Java #Factory Pattern