Choosing an Implementation

How you construct your container is up to you, but you should decide up front whether you want to compile the dependency graph or not. All three implementations produce a container with the exact same runtime API — they differ only in how the container is assembled.

	Default	Dynamic	Custom Build
How services are defined	.ctn container files	PHP bind() calls at runtime	Any source (JSON, array, …) fed to the builder
Compiled to a PHP class	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Runtime speed	Fastest	Slower	Fastest
Needs a writable cache dir	✅	❌	✅
Flexibility at runtime	Add/override via bind()	Unlimited	Add/override via bind()
Best for	Most applications	Tests, tiny scripts, fully dynamic graphs	You want compilation but not the .ctn language

Recommendation

• Use the Default implementation for real applications — declare your services in .ctn files and let them compile.
• Use the Dynamic container for tests, throwaway scripts, or when the service graph is only known at runtime.
• Use a Custom Build when you want the compilation benefit but prefer to describe services in your own format instead of .ctn files.

You can always mix in runtime service binding on top of a compiled container.

See The Container Lifecycle for what "compiling" actually does.