ServiceLoader

Versions

[{“Name”:“Java SE 6”,“GroupName”:null},{“Name”:“Java SE 7”,“GroupName”:null},{“Name”:“Java SE 8”,“GroupName”:null},{“Name”:“Java SE 9 (Early Access)”,“GroupName”:null}]

Remarks

ServiceLoader can be used to get instances of classes extending a given type(=service) that are specified in a file packed in a .jar file. The service that is extended/implemented is often a interface, but this is not required.

The extending/implementing classes need to provide a zero argument constructor for the ServiceLoader to instantiate them.

To be discovered by the ServiceLoader a text file with the name of the fully qualified type name of the implemented service needs to be stored inside the META-INF/services directory in the jar file. This file contains one fully qualified name of a class implementing the service per line.