DotNet.Backend.Template

.NET Templates for backend applications and open-source components.

This project provides templates that include backed-in patterns and best practices based on experience of implementing many solutions using Microsoft technologies.

Generated projects can:

• Build a Web project that exposes a REST API, a GraphQL API, host a SPA application, run in Azure Functions or as a command-line application
• Create netstandard OSS components published on NuGet/GitHub

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Install the .NET Core SDK

• Install the templates locally

dotnet new -i NV.Templates

Generate a Backend project

Run the template with the relevant options:

dotnet new nv-backend -n <project name> -C <company name> [options]

By default, the project will only generate a Core library to host the core business logic of the application. To generate suitable hosts to run and expose it, use the following options:

Option	Description
--RestApi	Generates an ASP.NET Core MVC project suitable for exposing REST APIs
--SPA	Generates an ASP.NET Core project suitable for hosting SPAs
--Functions	Generates an Azure Functions project
--Console	Generates a Console (command-line) project
--Auth	Add authentication (JWT-based) support in Web projects
--Azure	Add Azure ARM Template and DevOps Pipeline

Options can be combined, e.g.

dotnet new nv-backend -n <project name> -C <company name> --RestApi --SPA --Functions --Console --Auth

For more details on each project type, see the Features / Backend section.

Generate a netstandard Component project

Run the template:

dotnet new nv-netstandard-component -n <component name> -C <company name>

For more details on what's provided, see the Features / Component section.

Features

Backend

Core

Regardless of the options provided to the template, there is always 2 projects that are generated: Core and Core.Tests, along with some supporting solution files.

Here is the set of feature provided as part of the Core feature set:

• Core: a netstandard2.0 library where the business logic of the application is meant to reside. Contains:

  • IApplicationInfo / ApplicationInfo service that represents the execution environment of the application itself
  • IOperationContext / OperationContext service that represents a the execution environment of a single operation executed by the library; it is meant to be registered as a Scoped service, and the lifetime of it must be managed by the Dependency Injection container
  • Various interfaces and base classes for Entity-type class (in the Framework namespace)
  • an IdGenerator utility class to generate unique ids as reasonably readable strings
  • Inclusion of helpers and extension methods to handle pagination as Continuation tokens (in Framework/Continuation) as the preferred method to handle pagination (as opposed to offset pagination)
  • A set of standard, application-level Exception classes to handle common cases (ConcurrencyException, DependencyException, NotFoundException)
  • An extension method to help registering all services in the Dependency Injection container (in ServiceCollectionExtensions)
  • A set of attributes that helps with auto-registration of services (see the OperationContext class for an example)
  • Http Dependencies support with the help of Refit: all HttpClient options are standardized and Polly parameters are applied

• Core.Tests: a xUnit project for unit-tests. Contains:

  • OptionsHelper to help load Options from unit-tests projects configuration
  • EntityFactory to help implement the Object Mother unit testing pattern
  • An adapter that adapts a ILogger to the standard xUnit output

• Solution Items files: Various solution files that apply to all projects:

  • an .editorconfig configuration file
  • standard configuration for StyleCop and FxCop that applies to all projects in the solution
  • common set of properties for all projects (in Directory.Build.props)
  • all projects are marked with a property named TemplateVersion that is set to the template version used during project generation
  • a Powershell script to generate an ATTRIBUTIONS.txt file to collect all NuGet packages license information to ensure compliance

Implementation Get Started

• Create the relevant service interfaces and implementations; services can be annotated with [RegisterXXXService] attributes to be auto-registered in Dependency Injection
• Create the corresponding unit tests in the Core.Tests project

Using the library

In order to use the library in the context of an application, it needs to be setup in a specific way. While the template options for head projects provide such an environment, if you need to do it yourself here is what's needed:

• Create a .NET Host
• Configure the library by adding the library services using the IServiceCollection.AddCore extension method
• Ensure that each operation is executed in a separate scope (e.g. by using IServiceProvider.CreateScope)

RestApi

When using the --RestApi option, 2 projects are added to the solution:

• Web: An ASP.NET Core application setup for exposing the Core library as a Rest API. Contains the following features:

  • MVC bootstrap code with API-related features
  • JSON options configured with sensible default
  • ASP.NET Core API Versioning is enabled and setup with support for versioning of the API in the URL (e.g. /api/v1/...)
  • Application Insights is configured
  • HTTPS is enforced and HSTS is configured
  • CORS is configured
  • Full request and response tracing is available, courtesy of the AspNetCoreRequestTracing component
  • Generic error handling middleware is already setup (in Framework.Middleware.ExceptionHandler) and configured for the exception classes provided in the Core project
  • HTTP Response caching is configured to return "no-store,no-cache" by default
  • Swagger/Open API support is configured, courtesy of NSwag
  • /attributions.txt handler configured, to expose the ATTRIBUTIONS.txt file the includes 3rd-party NuGet licenses
  • /api/info endpoint that exposes IApplicationInfo information
  • ASP.NET Core health checks are configured, with additional tracing options exposed through a /health endpoint
  • Models that maps with the Continuation tokens classes defined in Core
  • all operations return a X-OperationId header with the current IOperationContext.Id value
  • errors include an additional Help Desk Id property, courtesy of the HelpDeskId component

• Web.Tests: a xUnit integration tests project. Sets up a TestWebApplicationFactory and a xUnit collection for tests that automatically starts an in-memory instance of the ASP.NET Core application.

SPA

When using the --SPA option, the Web project is augmented with the following features:

• Adds support for ASP.NET Core SPA Services, with on-the-fly compilation and hot-reload when developing and serving the statically compiled app when hosting in production
• Creates a ClientApp folder that should host the content of the SPA; it is voluntarily left empty

Once the solution has been generated, go to the Web\ClientApp folder and generate the SPA client app here using the SPA tooling of your choice (e.g. Create React App or Angular CLI).

Auth

When using the --Auth option, the Web project is augmented with the following features:

• Adds support for validating JWT tokens
• Configuration is achieved via options; an example is given in LocalSettings.Development.json
• Integration with RestApi
• Integration with the IOperationContext
• Integration with the Application Insights Telemetry
• Adds support for OAuth2 login in Open API

Covering the entire scope of authentication and authorization is too large for this documentation. This option is only there to provide a starting point. Please refer to the ASP.NET Core documentation for more info.

Azure Functions

When using the --Functions option, 2 projects are added to the solution:

• Functions: an Azure Functions project

  • Azure Functions setup with integrated Dependency Injection
  • Support for scoped execution is provided by the Azure Functions SDK

• Functions.Tests: a xUnit project for unit testing the functions

Console app

When using the --Console option, 2 projects are added to the solution:

• Console: a .NET Core console application

  • Organized around the Command pattern using CommandLineUtils
  • Sets up a Generic Host with integrated Dependency injection
  • Each command is a separate class, with argument parsing

• Console.Tests: a xUnit project for unit testing the commands

Azure

When using the --Azure option, an Azure Resource Manager template is added to the solution.

To deploy the infrastructure, please install the Azure CLI and run the following commands:

$ az group create -l <Resource Group Location> -n <Name of the Resource Group>
$ az deployment group create --resource-group <Name of the Resource Group> --template-file azure.azrm.json --parameters projectName=<Project Name> environment=<Environment> billTo=<Dept or Individual> managedBy=<Dept or Individual>

e.g.

$ az group create -l canadacentral -n MyAwesomeApp.QA
$ az deployment group create --resource-group MyAwesomeApp.QA --template-file azure.azrm.json --parameters projectName=aweapp environment=qa billTo=HR managedBy=john.doe@example.org

The template has many parameters documented, but here is a few items included:

• App Configuration
• App Service with auto-scaling and staging slots
• Function App
• Application Insights

Also, an Azure DevOps build pipeline is included to get started faster. This is intended to be a starting point more than a turn key solution though.

NetStandard Component

Provides a base repository, solution and projects to create an open-source component.

Includes:

• an .editorconfig configuration file
• 2 projects:
  • a netstandard2.0 library for the component
  • a xUnit project for unit testing
• standard configuration for StyleCop and FxCop that applies to all projects in the solution
• common set of properties for all projects (in Directory.Build.props)
• all projects are marked with a property named TemplateVersion that is set to the template version used during project generation
• default azure-pipeline.yml CI build file, along with an adequate GitVersion configuration
• standard supporting file for GitHub-published components:
  • a default README.md file
  • a CHANGELOG.md file
  • default GitHub Issue and Pull Requests templates
  • an Apache-2.0 LICENSE file
  • a Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct
  • instructions regarding contributions

Changelog

Please consult the CHANGELOG for more information about version history.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on the process for contributing to this project.

Be mindful of our Code of Conduct.

Acknowledgments

• Dotnet-Boxed Templates