- Provides a well defined plug-in bootstrap process.
- Core bootstrap process is not dependent on any open-source technologies. This allows the core implementation to remain unchanged since new technologies and open-source libraries are introduced via plug-ins.
- Very loosely coupled. Only those plug-ins that a given host application needs are referenced. Provides a consistent methodology for unit-testing the application container and the interactions between its composite parts.
- Based mostly on convention and not configuration.
- Detailed logging of an application host’s composition - “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...”
- Not a heavyweight framework - “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts...”
- Once the bootstrap process is understood for one plug-in, the same process applies to all plug-ins. This process is also well documented. This allows new developers to become efficient in a short period of time.
- The core implementation is not dependent on the executing host assemblies. This greatly simplifies unit-testing and allows for complete execution in a variety of application hosts - LinqPad, .NET Core, …
- The only requirement placed on a plug-in is the implementation of the protocol required to integrate with the bootstrap process.
- While a plug-in design is ideal for implementing an “onion architecture” this is not a requirement.