Example "Container" in symfony 1.4

actions.class.php

<?php

class mySoapActions extends sfActions
{
    public function executeSomething(sfWebRequest $request)
    {
        $soapApi = $this->getSoapAPI();
        // do something with it
    }

    /**
     * @return mtReportSoapApi
     */
    private function getSoapAPI()
    {
         return $this->getContext()
            ->getConfiguration()
            ->getPluginConfiguration('mtReportPlugin')
            ->getSoapApi()
        ;
    }
}

mtReportPluginConfiguration.class.php

<?php

// plugins/mtReportPlugin/config/mtReportPluginConfiguration.class.php

class mtReportPluginConfiguration extends sfPluginConfiguration
{
    protected $mtSoapApi;

    public function getSoapApi()
    {
        if ($this->mtSoapApi === null)
        {
            // in theory, the creation of this would also be centralized, but whatever
            $reportingObject = new reportGuidePageOrders();

            $this->mtSoapApi = new mtReportSoapApi('some_config', 'other_config', $reportingObject);
        }

        return $this->mtSoapApi;
    }
}