Selfattach

Selfattach refers to the capability of a software component to automatically attach itself to a host, resource, or context during initialization or runtime, without requiring explicit external wiring or manual intervention. This enables modular components to become active participants in a system by discovering and registering with their host automatically.

In practice, self-attach is used in plugin systems, device drivers, and runtime environments that support dynamic composition. Common mechanisms include reflection or introspection to discover compatible hosts, dynamic loading of modules, explicit registration callbacks that the host invokes during startup, and discovery services that advertise available partners at runtime. A component may attach to a host if it meets compatibility criteria or based on configuration-less discovery rules.

Examples include a browser that loads and registers extensions at startup, an operating system driver that binds to hardware on boot or during hot-plug events, and a monitoring agent that self-registers with a central collector when deployed. In dependency-injection or service-oriented architectures, self-attach can refer to components that register themselves with a service registry without explicit wiring in the application code.

Benefits of self-attach include reduced configuration, easier extensibility, and improved modularity. Potential downsides are reduced predictability, harder debugging, security risks from untrusted modules, and the need for robust lifecycle management to support detachment or reattachment.

See also: plugin architecture, dynamic loading, service registry, device driver model, lifecycle management.