ASP.NET Core Guide

Applies to: ASP.NET Core 8.x (LTS), C# 12, Minimal APIs, MVC, Web APIs

Core Principles

1. Clean Architecture: Separate API, Core (domain), Infrastructure, and Contracts layers
2. Dependency Injection: Built-in DI container for all service registrations
3. Minimal APIs First: Prefer Minimal APIs for new endpoints; use controllers for complex scenarios
4. Async Everywhere: All I/O-bound operations must be async with CancellationToken
5. Records for DTOs: Immutable data transfer objects using C# records

Guardrails

Version & Dependencies

• Target net8.0 (LTS) with <Nullable>enable</Nullable> and <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
• Enable <TreatWarningsAsErrors>true</TreatWarningsAsErrors> in Directory.Build.props
• Use Central Package Management (Directory.Packages.props) for version consistency