To delete a record, retrieve the entity and call Remove:

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public async Task DeleteBookAsync(int id)
{
var book = await _context.Books.FindAsync(id);
if (book != null)
{
_context.Books.Remove(book); // Remove the book
await _context.SaveChangesAsync(); // Save changes to
the database
}
}

Migrations with DbContext

When you make changes to your models (e.g., adding new properties), you need to update the
database schema. This can be done through migrations in EF Core.

1. Add Migration:

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dotnet ef migrations add InitialCreate
This will generate a migration script to create the necessary database schema based on your
DbContext and models.

2. Apply Migration:

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dotnet ef database update
This command applies the migration and updates the database to match the model.

DbContext Lifetime and Dependency Injection (DI)

In ASP.NET Core, DbContext is typically registered with Scoped lifetime in the DI container:

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builder.Services.AddDbContext<AppDbContext>(options =>
options.UseMySql(connectionString,
ServerVersion.AutoDetect(connectionString)));
• Scoped lifetime ensures that a single DbContext instance is used throughout a single
HTTP request. This is important because DbContext is not thread-safe and should be
disposed of at the end of each request.
 Conclusion

• DbContext is the central class in Entity Framework Core that connects your application to
the database and manages CRUD operations.

• You con gure the DbContext using a connection string, which can be set in
appsettings.json and passed into the application via dependency injection.

• Using migrations, you can handle schema changes in your database.

• CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) are easy to perform with
DbSet<TEntity> properties of DbContext.

By understanding and using DbContext, you can interact with your database ef ciently while
leveraging the power of Entity Framework Core in your ASP.NET Core MVC application.

Repository Pattern in ASP.NET Core MVC

What is the Repository Pattern?

The Repository Pattern is a structural design pattern that abstracts the data layer, providing a clean
API for data access operations. It decouples the application's business logic from the data access
logic, making the application easier to maintain, test, and extend.

The Repository Pattern aims to centralize data access logic by creating a repository that handles all
interactions with the data source. Instead of directly interacting with the database or performing
queries in controllers or services, you interact with repositories that provide a higher-level API for
data access.

Why Use the Repository Pattern?

1. Separation of Concerns:
◦ The Repository Pattern separates the data access logic from the rest of the
application, making it easier to maintain and manage.

2. Testability:
◦ By abstracting the data layer, you can easily mock the repository in unit tests and test
the business logic in isolation from the database.
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 3. Cleaner Code:
◦ It helps keep controllers and services clean, avoiding large amounts of database code
in those classes.

4. Centralized Data Access:

◦ It allows you to centralize all queries and operations on data within the repository,
making your codebase more modular and organized.

How the Repository Pattern Works

A repository provides methods to interact with the data source, usually performing operations like
Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD operations). Here's a simple structure for implementing
the Repository Pattern in an ASP.NET Core MVC application:

1. Repository Interface (IRepository<TEntity>)

2. Concrete Repository Implementation (Repository<TEntity>)

3. Service Layer (optional, but common in complex applications)

4. Controller (using the repository via Dependency Injection)

1. De ning the Repository Interface

The rst step in implementing the Repository Pattern is to de ne an interface that speci es the
operations that your repository will expose. This interface de nes the contract that the repository
will implement.

Example of Repository Interface:

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using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Models;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace OnlineBookStoreAPI.Repositories
{
public interface IBookRepository
{
Task<List<Book>> GetAllBooksAsync();
Task<Book?> GetBookByIdAsync(int id);
Task<Book> AddBookAsync(Book book);
Task<Book> UpdateBookAsync(Book book);
Task DeleteBookAsync(int id);
}
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}
In this example:

• IGetAllBooksAsync returns a list of all books asynchronously.

• IGetBookByIdAsync returns a single book by its ID.

• IAddBookAsync, IUpdateBookAsync, and IDeleteBookAsync provide the

CRUD operations.

2. Implementing the Repository

Next, you implement the repository interface. The concrete repository will use DbContext to
interact with the database and perform CRUD operations.

Example of Concrete Repository Implementation:

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using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Models;
using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Data;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace OnlineBookStoreAPI.Repositories
{
public class BookRepository : IBookRepository
{
private readonly AppDbContext _context;

// Constructor to inject the DbContext

public BookRepository(AppDbContext context)
{
_context = context;
}

// Fetch all books from the database

public async Task<List<Book>> GetAllBooksAsync()
{
return await _context.Books.ToListAsync();
}

// Fetch a single book by ID

public async Task<Book?> GetBookByIdAsync(int id)
{
 return await _context.Books.FindAsync(id);
}

// Add a new book to the database

public async Task<Book> AddBookAsync(Book book)
{
_context.Books.Add(book);
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
return book;
}

// Update an existing book

public async Task<Book> UpdateBookAsync(Book book)
{
_context.Books.Update(book);
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
return book;
}

// Delete a book by ID
public async Task DeleteBookAsync(int id)
{
var book = await _context.Books.FindAsync(id);
if (book != null)
{
_context.Books.Remove(book);
await _context.SaveChangesAsync();
}
}
}
}
In this implementation:

• The BookRepository class implements the IBookRepository interface.

• It uses the injected AppDbContext to interact with the database.

• Each method performs an operation using Entity Framework Core’s DbContext and its
methods like Add(), Find(), Update(), Remove(), and
SaveChangesAsync().

3. Using the Repository in a Service Layer

Although optional, many applications include a service layer between the controller and repository.
The service layer coordinates between the controller and repository, containing business logic that
isn’t directly related to database access.
Example of a Service Layer:

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using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Models;
using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Repositories;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace OnlineBookStoreAPI.Services
{
public class BookService : IBookService
{
private readonly IBookRepository _bookRepository;

public BookService(IBookRepository bookRepository)

{
_bookRepository = bookRepository;
}

public async Task<List<Book>> GetAllBooksAsync()

{
return await _bookRepository.GetAllBooksAsync();
}

public async Task<Book?> GetBookByIdAsync(int id)

{
return await
_bookRepository.GetBookByIdAsync(id);
}

public async Task<Book> AddBookAsync(Book book)

{
return await _bookRepository.AddBookAsync(book);
}

public async Task<Book> UpdateBookAsync(Book book)

{
return await
_bookRepository.UpdateBookAsync(book);
}

public async Task DeleteBookAsync(int id)

{
await _bookRepository.DeleteBookAsync(id);
}
 }
}
In this example, BookService communicates with the BookRepository to perform
CRUD operations. The controller will use BookService to access data rather than interacting
directly with the repository.

4. Injecting the Repository into the Controller

The nal step is to inject the BookService (or the repository itself) into the controller via
Dependency Injection. This ensures that the controller can interact with the repository without
tightly coupling it to the implementation.

Example of Controller Using Dependency Injection:

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using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Models;
using OnlineBookStoreAPI.Services;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace OnlineBookStoreAPI.Controllers
{
[Route("api/[controller]")]
[ApiController]
public class BookController : ControllerBase
{
private readonly IBookService _bookService;

public BookController(IBookService bookService)

{
_bookService = bookService;
}

// Fetch all books

[HttpGet]
public async Task<IActionResult> GetAllBooks()
{
var books = await
_bookService.GetAllBooksAsync();
return Ok(books);
}

// Add a new book

[HttpPost]
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 public async Task<IActionResult> AddBook([FromBody]
Book book)
{
var addedBook = await
_bookService.AddBookAsync(book);
return Ok(addedBook);
}
}
}
In this example:

• The BookController uses IBookService for interacting with the repository.

• The controller does not have direct access to the DbContext or any data access code. It
relies on the service layer to abstract these details.

Bene ts of Using the Repository Pattern

1. Separation of Concerns:
◦ Data access logic is separated from business logic, making the code easier to
maintain.

2. Testability:
◦ You can easily mock repositories in unit tests, ensuring that you can test your
business logic without needing a real database.

3. Flexibility:
◦ If you decide to change the data access layer (e.g., switching from MySQL to
PostgreSQL), you only need to modify the repository, not the rest of the application.

4. Simpli ed Database Operations:

◦ Common data access operations are abstracted into simple methods, reducing
repetitive code in controllers.

Conclusion

The Repository Pattern is a crucial design pattern for cleanly separating data access logic from
business logic in ASP.NET Core MVC applications. It centralizes the data access code into
repositories and allows for easier maintenance, testing, and scalability. By using the Repository
Pattern, you improve the structure of your application, making it more modular and easier to
maintain over time.
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