In this guide, we'll walk through setting up a basic .NET Core 8.0 application using the Entity Framework Code First approach, combined with an API layer. This approach allows you to define your database schema directly in your C# code, making it easy to manage changes over time.
1. Setup the .NET Core Project
Start by creating a new .NET Core Web API project:
dotnet new webapi -n EFCoreApiExample
cd EFCoreApiExample
2. Install Required Packages
Add Entity Framework Core and the SQL Server provider:
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools
3. Define the Data Model
Create your entity classes. For instance, we'll create a `Product` class.
public class Product
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public decimal Price { get; set; }
}
4. Setup the DbContext
Create a `DbContext` class that will handle your database operations:
public class ApplicationDbContext : DbContext
{
public ApplicationDbContext(DbContextOptions<ApplicationDbContext> options) : base(options) {}
public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }
}
5. Configure the Connection String
In `appsettings.json`, add the connection string:
"ConnectionStrings": {
"DefaultConnection": "Server=.;Database=EFCoreApiDb;Trusted_Connection=True;"
}
Then configure the `DbContext` in `Program.cs`:
builder.Services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
options.UseSqlServer(builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));
6. Create the Database
Run the following commands to create a migration and update the database:
dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate
dotnet ef database update
7. Create the API Controller
Add a new `ProductsController` to handle CRUD operations:
[Route("api/[controller]")]
[ApiController]
public class ProductsController : ControllerBase
{
private readonly ApplicationDbContext _context;
public ProductsController(ApplicationDbContext context)
{
_context = context;
}
[HttpGet]
public async Task<ActionResult<IEnumerable<Product>>> GetProducts()
{
return await _context.Products.ToListAsync();
}
[HttpGet("{id}")]
public async Task<ActionResult<Product>> GetProduct(int id)
{
var product = await _context.Products.FindAsync(id);
if (product == null)
{
return NotFound();
}
return product;
}
[HttpPost]
public async Task<ActionResult<Product>> PostProduct(Product product)
{
_context.Products.Add(product);
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
return CreatedAtAction("GetProduct", new { id = product.Id }, product);
}
[HttpPut("{id}")]
public async Task<IActionResult> PutProduct(int id, Product product)
{
if (id != product.Id)
{
return BadRequest();
}
_context.Entry(product).State = EntityState.Modified;
try
{
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
}
catch (DbUpdateConcurrencyException)
{
if (!ProductExists(id))
{
return NotFound();
}
else
{
throw;
}
}
return NoContent();
}
[HttpDelete("{id}")]
public async Task<IActionResult> DeleteProduct(int id)
{
var product = await _context.Products.FindAsync(id);
if (product == null)
{
return NotFound();
}
_context.Products.Remove(product);
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
return NoContent();
}
private bool ProductExists(int id)
{
return _context.Products.Any(e => e.Id == id);
}
}
8. Run the Application
Run your application:
dotnet run
Navigate to `https://localhost:5001/api/products` to interact with the API.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you've created a .NET Core 8.0 Web API using the Entity Framework Code First approach. This setup is scalable and allows for easy database management as your application grows.
