======== Glossary ======== The goal of this page is to help keep documentation, discussions, and APIs consistent. ============== ======= Term Meaning ============== ======= *Activator* Part of a *Registration* that, given a *Context* and a set of *Parameters*, can create a *Component Instance* bound to that *Context* *Argument* A formal argument to a constructor on a .NET type *Component* A body of code that declares the *Services* it provides and the *Dependencies* it consumes *Instance* A .NET object obtained by *Activating* a *Component* that provides *Services* within a *Container* (also *Component Instance*) *Container* A construct that manages the *Components* that make up an application *Context* A bounded region in which a specific set of *Services* is available *Dependency* A *Service* required by a *Component* *Lifetime* A duration bounded by the *Activation* of an *Instance* and its disposal *Parameter* Non-*Service* objects used to configure a *Component* *Registration* The act of adding and configuring a *Component* for use in a *Container*, and the information associated with this process *Scope* The specific *Context* in which *Instances* of a *Component* will be shared by other *Components* that depend on their *Services* *Service* A well-defined behavioral contract shared between a providing and a consuming *Component*; generally these are interfaces, or some abstraction of a *Component* ============== ======= Admittedly this seems a bit low-level to fit with the typical idea of a 'universal language', but within the domain of IoC containers and specifically Autofac these can be viewed as concepts rather than implementation details. Some more detail on the relationship between a *Service* and a *Component Registration* in Autofac terms can be found in the :ref:`registration documentation `. Wild deviations from these terms in the API or code should be fixed or raised as issues to fix in a future version. The terms *Application*, *Type*, *Delegate*, *Object*, *Property* etc. have their usual meaning in the context of .NET software development.