WEB API CRUD operations using Entity framework core with Database First Approach

 WEB API CRUD operations using Entity framework core with Database First Approach

Prerequisites:

1. Visual Studio installed on your system.
2. Basic knowledge of C# programming language.
3. SQL Server installed or accessible.
4. Existing database schema.

Step 1: Setting up the Project

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new project.
2. Select "ASP.NET Core Web Application" template.
3. Choose a project name and location, then click "Create."
4. In the next window, select "API" as the project template and ensure that "ASP.NET Core" and the desired .NET version are selected.

Step 2: Adding Entity Framework Core

1. Install Entity Framework Core if not already installed. You can do this via NuGet Package Manager
2. Install-Package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer Install-Package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools


3. Step 3: Generating Model Classes from Database

1. Right-click on your project in Solution Explorer, select "Add" > "New Scaffolded Item".
2. Choose "Data" from the left pane, then select "ADO.NET Entity Data Model".
3. Click "Add".
4. In the "Entity Data Model Wizard", select "EF Designer from Database", then click "Next".
5. Configure your database connection. If you haven't set up a connection yet, click "New Connection" to create one.
6. Select the tables or views you want to include in your model.
7. Choose the model namespace and click "Finish".

Step 4: Creating Web API Controllers

1. Add a new folder for your controllers (e.g., Controllers).
2. Create a new Web API controller for each of your model classes.
3. Scaffold the CRUD actions for each controller using Visual Studio or by manually implementing them.

Step 5: Testing the API

1. Run your application.
2. Use tools like Postman or Swagger UI to test your API endpoints.
3. Test each CRUD operation to ensure they are working as expected.

Step 6: Advanced Topics

1. Implementing validation: Use Data Annotations or Fluent API for model validation.
2. Authentication and Authorization: Secure your API using JWT tokens or other authentication mechanisms.
3. Error handling: Implement global error handling to provide meaningful error messages to clients.
4. Optimistic Concurrency: Handle concurrency conflicts when multiple clients try to update the same resource simultaneously.
5. Logging and Monitoring: Implement logging and monitoring to track API usage and diagnose issues.

Additional Resources:

• Entity Framework Core Documentation
• ASP.NET Core Documentation
• Microsoft Learn provides comprehensive tutorials and courses on .NET development.
• Pluralsight and Udemy offer courses on ASP.NET Core development.