Module 4 API Workshop

Overview

The repo shows how .NET 6 is used to create APIs.

Before running the sample code, download the REST Client for testing the APIs.

1. Minimal API

This is a new feature in .NET 6 that allows developers to skip a lot of the boilerplate code used to create .NET Web APIs. Seeing an API without the extra plumbing should help in understanding the middleware and controllers used in traditional .NET Web APIs.

1. Switch to the 1-minimal-api branch in VS Code.
2. Start the API by running dotnet run.
3. Test the API by using the tests/test.http file.

2. Standard API

This shows the standard way to configure an API prior to .NET 6. It uses the Middleware pipelines, route configurations, and controllers.

1. Switch to the 2-standard-api branch in VS Code.
2. Start the API by running dotnet run.
3. Test the API by using the tests/students.http and tests/home.http files.
4. Examing the program.cs file and note two things
   • use of the builder to configure common and shared runtime services for all endpoints in the API
   • use of the app to configure the middleware stack the gets executed on each request.

3. Advanced API

This shows how to design and implement an API with .NET 6

Getting Started

We need to add support for a local database to solve for the stateless issue. We will use Enity Framework's In-Memory database.

dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.InMemory

Create the Models

We begin by creating the models of our business entities. This is usually done with business subject matter experts as well as teams that will consume our API

Create the Database Context

We will not spend time here- this is Wednesday lecture.

Add Tools to generate a controller

1. Add the following Nuget packages:
   • dotnet add package Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Design
   • dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design
   • dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
   • dotnet tool install -g dotnet-aspnet-codegenerator

Generate Controller including database queries

1. Then generate a CoursesController based on the model: -dotnet aspnet-codegenerator controller -name CoursesController -async -api -m Course -dc RegistrarContext -outDir Controllers