Service provider interface explained

Service provider interface (SPI) is an API intended to be implemented or extended by a third party. It can be used to enable framework extension and replaceable components.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Details

From Java documentation:

The concept can be extended to other platforms using the corresponding tools. In the Java Runtime Environment, SPIs are used in:^{[1] [2]}

• Java Database Connectivity
• Java Cryptography Extension
• Java Naming and Directory Interface
• Java API for XML Processing
• Java Business Integration
• Java Sound
• Java Image I/O
• Java File Systems

See also

• Plug-in (computing)
• Java (programming language)
• Java (software platform)

External links

• Replaceable Components and the Service Provider Interface (.pdf at The Software Engineering Institute CMU)
• Official Java API documentation: java.util.class and java.util.spi package

Notes and References

1. Web site: Introduction to the Service Provider Interfaces. Oracle Java Documentation. Services are units of sound-handling functionality that are automatically available when an application program makes use of an implementation of the Java Sound API.
2. Web site: Thribhuvan Thakur. Service Provider Interface: Creating Extensible Java Applications. Developer.com. November 18, 2009. A service provider interface (SPI) is the set of public interfaces and abstract classes that a service defines. A SPI may be represented by a single interface (type) or abstract class or a set of interfaces or abstract classes that define the service contract..
3. Web site: Seacord, C. Robert . Wrage, Lutz . amp . Replaceable Components and the Service Provider Interface. Software Engineering Institute (CMU). July 2002.