laminas-mvc 3.x and laminas-servicemanager 3.x: who adapts ServiceLocatorAwareInterface to PSR-11?

The Resolution

In Laminas MVC 3.x and ServiceManager 3.x, no component automatically adapts ServiceLocatorAwareInterface to PSR-11. The framework does not provide a built-in container proxy to bridge this gap. The architectural direction is strict PSR-11 compliance, meaning the responsibility for adaptation lies entirely with the module author.

Technical Explanation

The friction occurs because laminas-servicemanager 3.x implements Psr\Container\ContainerInterface, but the legacy ServiceLocatorAwareTrait expects a container that implements the deprecated ServiceLocatorInterface. Because the ServiceManagerFactory in MVC 3.x no longer detects or injects the locator into "aware" objects, classes implementing ServiceLocatorAwareInterface simply never receive the container.

Confirmed Framework Behavior

• No Automatic Injection: The MVC layer does not check for ServiceLocatorAwareInterface during the dispatch or initialization process.
• Interface Mismatch: A PSR-11 container lacks the legacy methods (such as getServiceLocator()) that older traits rely on to function.
• Roadmap Alignment: The project favors constructor-based dependency injection (DI) over the Service Locator pattern to improve testability and transparency.

Implementation Paths for Legacy Modules

For third-party modules that cannot be forked or rewritten immediately, you must implement a manual bridge. A hand-written adapter factory is the only supported method to restore functionality without modifying the module's source code.

Recommended Bridge Strategy

1. Create a Custom Factory: Instead of relying on the default InvokableFactory, write a factory for the legacy class.
2. Manual Injection: Inside the factory, retrieve the PSR-11 container and manually call the setter method defined by ServiceLocatorAwareInterface.
3. Proxy Wrapper (Optional): If the legacy module calls methods not present in PSR-11, you must wrap the ServiceManager instance in a small proxy class that implements ServiceLocatorInterface before injecting it.

// Example Bridge Factory
public function __invoke(ContainerInterface $container, $requestedName, array $options = null) {
    $instance = new LegacyModuleClass();
    // Manually bridging the PSR-11 container to the aware interface
    $instance->setServiceLocator($container);
    return $instance;
}

Verification and Diagnostics

To verify the failure point, check if the setServiceLocator method of your legacy class is ever called during the request lifecycle. If it remains null, the ServiceManagerFactory is bypassing the object as intended by the 3.x design.

Diagnostic Detail Required: To determine if a simple factory suffices or if a full proxy wrapper is needed, please confirm if the legacy module utilizes any ServiceLocatorInterface methods beyond get().