Question

Is it wrong to call a class a FooFactory if it doesn’t always create Foo objects? For example if I have the following interface:

public interface IFooFactory
{
    Foo Create();
}

and implement it as follows:

public class FooFactory : IFooFactory
{
    public IFoo Create()
    {
        return ServiceLocator.Current.GetInstance<IFoo>();
    }
}

then this class might create a Foo depending upon how my IoC container is configured. If the ‘XxxFacotry’ name should be reserved for true factories, what should I call my interface and class?

The obvious answer is IFooProvider, but I really want avoid ‘XxxProvider’ because it’s overused and therefore too vague. On the other hand, IFooServiceLocator is far too specific.

Alternative naming suggestions greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Would you call something a cookie factory if it sometimes made cake?