ASP.NET Core 2025 Beginner Guide Part 1 - Setup, First App & Real Examples

📖 Table of Contents

1. Welcome to  ASP.NET  Core 2025

2. Why Learn  ASP.NET  Core in 2025?

3. Setting Up Your Development Environment

4. Understanding  ASP.NET  Core Architecture

5. Creating Your First Application

6. Building a Real-World E-Commerce Demo

7. Essential Concepts You Must Master

8. Best Practices & Common Pitfalls

9. Testing & Debugging Strategies

10. Preparing for Production

11. What's Next in Part 2

ASP.NET  Core 2025 Unleashed: Ultimate Beginner's Guide (Part 1)

1. Welcome to  ASP.NET  Core 2025 🎉

1.1 Your Journey Starts Here

Welcome to the most comprehensive beginner's guide to  ASP.NET  Core 2025! If you're new to web development or coming from other frameworks, you've made the perfect choice. ASP.NET Core represents the future of enterprise web development, and this 40-part series will transform you from complete beginner to job-ready developer.

Real-World Perspective : Think of learning  ASP.NET  Core like building a house:

• Foundation  = .NET Runtime & SDK

• Framework  =  ASP.NET  Core (your building materials)

• Your Code  = The actual house design and construction

• Deployment  = Making the house livable

1.2 What You'll Build in Part 1

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

• ✅ Complete development environment setup

• ✅ Understanding of  ASP.NET  Core architecture

• ✅ Your first running web application

• ✅ Real e-commerce product catalog API

• ✅ Knowledge of essential best practices

• ✅ Foundation for the remaining 39 parts

2. Why Learn  ASP.NET  Core in 2025? 🚀

2.1 Industry Demand & Career Opportunities

Market Reality :  ASP.NET  Core developers are among the highest-paid in the industry. Here's why:

csharp

  
    public class CareerAdvantage{
    public string HighDemand => "80% of enterprise companies use .NET";
    public decimal AverageSalary => "$95,000 - $140,000 annually";
    public string JobSecurity => "Microsoft-backed with long-term support";
    public string Versatility => "Web APIs, Microservices, Cloud Apps, Mobile Backends";}
  

2.2 Comparison with Other Frameworks

Framework	Learning Curve	Performance	Enterprise Usage	Job Market
ASP.NET  Core	Moderate	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Node.js	Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spring Boot	Steep	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Django	Moderate	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

2.3 Success Stories

From Beginner to Professional :

• Sarah : "Started with zero coding experience, landed first job in 6 months"

• Mike : "Transitioned from PHP, doubled my salary in 1 year"

• Lisa : "Built startup backend handling 10,000+ users"

3. Setting Up Your Development Environment 💻

3.1 Step-by-Step Installation Guide

3.1.1 Install .NET 8 SDK (The Foundation)

Download from :  https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download

Verification Steps :

bash

  
    # Open your terminal/command prompt
dotnet --version# Expected output: 8.0.x or higher

dotnet --list-sdks
# Should show your installed .NET SDK versions
  

Troubleshooting Common Issues :

• Path not recognized : Restart terminal or add to system PATH

• Version mismatch : Uninstall older versions first

• Permission errors : Run as administrator (Windows) or use sudo (Mac/Linux)

3.1.2 Choose Your Code Editor

Option A: Visual Studio Code (Recommended for Beginners)

json

  
    // Recommended VS Code Extensions (.vscode/extensions.json){
    "recommendations": [
        "ms-dotnettools.csharp",
        "ms-dotnettools.csdevkit",
        "ms-dotnettools.vscodeintellicode",
        "formulahendry.dotnet-test-explorer",
        "k--kato.docomment"
    ]}
  

Option B: Visual Studio 2022 (Full IDE Experience)

• Download Community Edition (Free)

• Select " ASP.NET  and web development" workload

• Includes everything you need in one package

3.1.3 Essential Tools Checklist

• .NET 8 SDK ✅

• Code Editor ✅

• Git for version control ✅

• Postman for API testing ✅

• Browser developer tools ✅

3.2 Your First Project Creation

Real-World Approach : We'll build a "Personal Book Catalog" - something tangible and useful.

bash

  
    # Create your first project
dotnet new web -n BookCatalog
cd BookCatalog

# Explore what was createddir   # Windowsls    # Mac/Linux
  

Project Structure Explanation :

text

  
    BookCatalog/
├── Program.cs          # 🏗️ Application startup & configuration
├── BookCatalog.csproj  # 📋 Project dependencies & settings
├── appsettings.json    # ⚙️ Configuration values
└── Properties/
    └── launchSettings.json  # 🚀 Debug/run profiles
  

3.3 Understanding Program.cs - The Heartbeat

Let's break down the generated code:

csharp

  
    // This is your application entry pointvar builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);// Think of 'builder' as your construction supervisor

// Add services to the DI container// Services are reusable components your app needs
builder.Services.AddControllers(); // Adds MVC controller support

var app = builder.Build();// Now 'app' is your built application ready to handle requests

// Configure the HTTP request pipeline// This is like setting up assembly line steps
app.UseHttpsRedirection();    // Force HTTPS for security
app.UseAuthorization();       // Enable authentication
app.MapControllers();         // Route requests to controllers

// Minimal API endpoint - your first "Hello World"
app.MapGet("/", () => "Welcome to Book Catalog API! 📚");

// Start listening for incoming requests
app.Run();// Your app is now alive and waiting for visitors!
  

3.4 Run Your First Application

bash

  
    # Start the application
dotnet run

# You should see output like:# Building...# info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]#       Now listening on: https://localhost:7000# info: Microsoft.Hosting.Lifetime[14]#       Now listening on: http://localhost:5000
  

Visit in Browser :  https://localhost:7000

🎉  Congratulations!  You now have a running  ASP.NET  Core application.

4. Understanding  ASP.NET  Core Architecture 🏗️

4.1 The Big Picture: How  ASP.NET  Core Works

Restaurant Analogy :

• Request  = Customer order

• Middleware  = Kitchen preparation steps

• Controller  = Head chef coordinating

• Response  = Prepared meal served

4.2 Key Architectural Concepts

4.2.1 Dependency Injection (DI) - The Glue

csharp

  
    // Without DI (Traditional way) - PROBLEMATICpublic class BookService{
    private readonly DatabaseConnection _db;
    
    public BookService()
    {
        _db = new DatabaseConnection(); // Hard dependency 😟
    }}

// With DI (ASP.NET Core way) - BETTER ✅public class BookService{
    private readonly IDatabaseConnection _db;
    
    // Dependency is injected, not created
    public BookService(IDatabaseConnection db)
    {
        _db = db; // Flexible and testable 👍
    }}

// Registration in Program.cs
builder.Services.AddScoped<IDatabaseConnection, DatabaseConnection>();
builder.Services.AddScoped<BookService>();
  

4.2.2 Middleware Pipeline - The Assembly Line

csharp

  
    var app = builder.Build();

// Request pipeline - order matters!
app.UseHttpsRedirection();        // Step 1: Security
app.UseStaticFiles();             // Step 2: Serve static files
app.UseRouting();                 // Step 3: Determine route
app.UseAuthorization();           // Step 4: Check permissions
app.MapControllers();             // Step 5: Execute controller

// Custom middleware example
app.Use(async (context, next) => {
    // This runs on every request
    Console.WriteLine($"Request: {context.Request.Method} {context.Request.Path}");
    await next(); // Continue to next middleware});
  

4.3 Configuration System - Smart Settings Management

csharp

  
    // appsettings.json{"ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;Database=BookCatalog;Trusted_Connection=true;"},"Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
    }},"AllowedHosts": "*","ApplicationSettings": {
    "MaxBooksPerPage": 20,
    "EnableSwagger": true,
    "AdminEmail": "[email protected]"}}

// Accessing configuration in codevar builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Get connection stringvar connectionString = builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");

// Get custom settingsvar maxBooks = builder.Configuration.GetValue<int>("ApplicationSettings:MaxBooksPerPage");var enableSwagger = builder.Configuration.GetValue<bool>("ApplicationSettings:EnableSwagger");
  

5. Building Real-World Book Catalog API 📚

5.1 Defining Our Business Domain

Let's model a real book catalog system:

csharp

  
    public class Book{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    
    [Required(ErrorMessage = "Book title is required")]
    [StringLength(100, ErrorMessage = "Title cannot exceed 100 characters")]
    public string Title { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    
    [Required]
    [StringLength(50)]
    public string Author { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    
    [Range(0.01, 1000, ErrorMessage = "Price must be between $0.01 and $1000")]
    public decimal Price { get; set; }
    
    [StringLength(500)]
    public string Description { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    
    public string ISBN { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    public int PageCount { get; set; }
    public DateTime PublishedDate { get; set; }
    public string Genre { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    public bool IsAvailable { get; set; } = true;
    public DateTime CreatedAt { get; set; } = DateTime.UtcNow;
    
    // Business logic methods
    public bool IsRecentlyPublished() 
        => PublishedDate >= DateTime.UtcNow.AddMonths(-6);
        
    public string GetPriceCategory()
    {
        return Price switch
        {
            < 10 => "Budget",
            < 25 => "Standard", 
            < 50 => "Premium",
            _ => "Luxury"
        };
    }}

public enum BookGenre{
    Fiction,
    Nonfiction,
    Mystery,
    ScienceFiction,
    Biography,
    Technology,
    Children,
    Romance,
    History
}
  

5.2 Creating the Books Controller

csharp

  
    [ApiController][Route("api/[controller]")]public class BooksController : ControllerBase{
    // In-memory storage for demo (we'll use database in later parts)
    private static readonly List<Book> _books = new()
    {
        new Book { 
            Id = 1, 
            Title = "ASP.NET Core in Action", 
            Author = "Andrew Lock", 
            Price = 44.99m,
            ISBN = "978-1617294611",
            PageCount = 672,
            PublishedDate = new DateTime(2021, 5, 1),
            Genre = "Technology",
            Description = "Comprehensive guide to building web applications with ASP.NET Core"
        },
        new Book { 
            Id = 2, 
            Title = "C# 10 and .NET 6", 
            Author = "Mark J. Price", 
            Price = 49.99m,
            ISBN = "978-1801077361", 
            PageCount = 826,
            PublishedDate = new DateTime(2022, 11, 8),
            Genre = "Technology",
            Description = "Modern cross-platform development fundamentals"
        }
    };

    // GET: api/books
    [HttpGet]
    public ActionResult<IEnumerable<Book>> GetBooks(
        [FromQuery] string genre = "",
        [FromQuery] string search = "",
        [FromQuery] bool availableOnly = true)
    {
        var books = _books.AsQueryable();
        
        // Real-world filtering logic
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(genre))
            books = books.Where(b => b.Genre.Equals(genre, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
            
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(search))
            books = books.Where(b => 
                b.Title.Contains(search, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) ||
                b.Author.Contains(search, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
                
        if (availableOnly)
            books = books.Where(b => b.IsAvailable);
            
        return Ok(books.ToList());
    }

    // GET: api/books/5
    [HttpGet("{id}")]
    public ActionResult<Book> GetBook(int id)
    {
        var book = _books.FirstOrDefault(b => b.Id == id);
        
        if (book == null)
            return NotFound(new { 
                message = $"Book with ID {id} not found",
                suggestion = "Check the ID or browse all books at /api/books"
            });
            
        return Ok(book);
    }

    // POST: api/books
    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult<Book> CreateBook(Book book)
    {
        // Automatic model validation (thanks to [ApiController])
        if (!ModelState.IsValid)
            return BadRequest(new {
                errors = ModelState.Values
                    .SelectMany(v => v.Errors)
                    .Select(e => e.ErrorMessage)
            });
        
        // Business logic: Generate new ID
        book.Id = _books.Any() ? _books.Max(b => b.Id) + 1 : 1;
        book.CreatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
        book.IsAvailable = true;
        
        _books.Add(book);
        
        // REST best practice: Return 201 Created with location header
        return CreatedAtAction(nameof(GetBook), new { id = book.Id }, book);
    }

    // PUT: api/books/5
    [HttpPut("{id}")]
    public IActionResult UpdateBook(int id, Book updatedBook)
    {
        var existingBook = _books.FirstOrDefault(b => b.Id == id);
        
        if (existingBook == null)
            return NotFound();
            
        if (!ModelState.IsValid)
            return BadRequest(ModelState);
        
        // Update only allowed properties (security best practice)
        existingBook.Title = updatedBook.Title;
        existingBook.Author = updatedBook.Author;
        existingBook.Price = updatedBook.Price;
        existingBook.Description = updatedBook.Description;
        existingBook.ISBN = updatedBook.ISBN;
        existingBook.PageCount = updatedBook.PageCount;
        existingBook.PublishedDate = updatedBook.PublishedDate;
        existingBook.Genre = updatedBook.Genre;
        
        return NoContent(); // 204 No Content - standard for successful updates
    }

    // DELETE: api/books/5
    [HttpDelete("{id}")]
    public IActionResult DeleteBook(int id)
    {
        var book = _books.FirstOrDefault(b => b.Id == id);
        
        if (book == null)
            return NotFound();
            
        // Soft delete (real-world scenario - we don't actually remove data)
        book.IsAvailable = false;
        
        return NoContent();
    }}
  

5.3 Testing Your API

Using Browser : Visit  https://localhost:7000/api/books

Using curl :

bash

  
    # Get all bookscurl -X GET "https://localhost:7000/api/books" -H "accept: application/json"

# Get specific bookcurl -X GET "https://localhost:7000/api/books/1" -H "accept: application/json"

# Create new bookcurl -X POST "https://localhost:7000/api/books" \-H "Content-Type: application/json" \-d '{
    "title": "Clean Code",
    "author": "Robert C. Martin", 
    "price": 37.99,
    "genre": "Technology",
    "isbn": "978-0132350884",
    "pageCount": 464,
    "publishedDate": "2008-08-01"
  }'
  

6. Adding Advanced Features 🔧

6.1 Exception Handling Middleware

csharp

  
    // Custom exception for business logic errorspublic class BookNotFoundException : Exception{
    public BookNotFoundException(int bookId) 
        : base($"Book with ID {bookId} was not found.") 
    {
    }}

public class BusinessRuleException : Exception{
    public BusinessRuleException(string message) : base(message) { }}

// Global exception handling middlewarepublic class ExceptionHandlingMiddleware{
    private readonly RequestDelegate _next;
    private readonly ILogger<ExceptionHandlingMiddleware> _logger;

    public ExceptionHandlingMiddleware(RequestDelegate next, ILogger<ExceptionHandlingMiddleware> logger)
    {
        _next = next;
        _logger = logger;
    }

    public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext context)
    {
        try
        {
            await _next(context);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            _logger.LogError(ex, "An unexpected error occurred");
            await HandleExceptionAsync(context, ex);
        }
    }

    private static Task HandleExceptionAsync(HttpContext context, Exception exception)
    {
        context.Response.ContentType = "application/json";
        
        var (statusCode, error) = exception switch
        {
            BookNotFoundException => (StatusCodes.Status404NotFound, "Book not found"),
            BusinessRuleException => (StatusCodes.Status400BadRequest, "Business rule violation"),
            ArgumentException => (StatusCodes.Status400BadRequest, "Invalid input"),
            _ => (StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError, "Internal server error")
        };
        
        context.Response.StatusCode = statusCode;

        var response = new
        {
            error = error,
            message = exception.Message,
            details = exception.GetType().Name,
            timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow,
            traceId = context.TraceIdentifier
        };

        return context.Response.WriteAsync(JsonSerializer.Serialize(response));
    }}

// Register in Program.cs
app.UseMiddleware<ExceptionHandlingMiddleware>();
  

6.2 Enhanced Books Controller with Error Handling

csharp

  
    [ApiController][Route("api/[controller]")]public class BooksController : ControllerBase{
    private static readonly List<Book> _books = new() { /* ... same as before ... */ };

    [HttpGet("{id}")]
    public ActionResult<Book> GetBook(int id)
    {
        var book = _books.FirstOrDefault(b => b.Id == id);
        
        if (book == null)
            throw new BookNotFoundException(id); // Custom exception
            
        if (!book.IsAvailable)
            throw new BusinessRuleException("This book is currently unavailable");
            
        return Ok(book);
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult<Book> CreateBook(Book book)
    {
        if (!ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            var errors = ModelState.Values
                .SelectMany(v => v.Errors)
                .Select(e => e.ErrorMessage);
            throw new ArgumentException($"Validation failed: {string.Join(", ", errors)}");
        }
        
        // Check for duplicate ISBN (business rule)
        if (_books.Any(b => b.ISBN == book.ISBN))
            throw new BusinessRuleException("A book with this ISBN already exists");
        
        book.Id = _books.Any() ? _books.Max(b => b.Id) + 1 : 1;
        book.CreatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
        book.IsAvailable = true;
        
        _books.Add(book);
        
        return CreatedAtAction(nameof(GetBook), new { id = book.Id }, book);
    }}
  

7. Adding Swagger/OpenAPI Documentation 📖

7.1 Setting Up API Documentation

csharp

  
    var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Add services to the container
builder.Services.AddControllers();

// Add Swagger/OpenAPI
builder.Services.AddEndpointsApiExplorer();
builder.Services.AddSwaggerGen(options =>{
    options.SwaggerDoc("v1", new OpenApiInfo
    {
        Title = "Book Catalog API",
        Version = "v1",
        Description = "A simple book catalog API built with ASP.NET Core",
        Contact = new OpenApiContact
        {
            Name = "FreeLearning365 Support",
            Email = "[email protected]"
        }
    });
    
    // Add XML comments for better documentation
    var xmlFile = $"{Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Name}.xml";
    var xmlPath = Path.Combine(AppContext.BaseDirectory, xmlFile);
    options.IncludeXmlComments(xmlPath);});

var app = builder.Build();

// Configure the HTTP request pipelineif (app.Environment.IsDevelopment()){
    app.UseSwagger();
    app.UseSwaggerUI(options =>
    {
        options.SwaggerEndpoint("/swagger/v1/swagger.json", "Book Catalog API v1");
        options.RoutePrefix = "api-docs"; // Access at /api-docs
    });}

// ... rest of configuration
  

7.2 Adding XML Documentation Comments

csharp

  
    /// <summary>/// Manages books in the catalog/// </summary>[ApiController][Route("api/[controller]")]public class BooksController : ControllerBase{
    /// <summary>
    /// Retrieves all books with optional filtering
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="genre">Filter by genre (e.g., Technology, Fiction)</param>
    /// <param name="search">Search in title or author</param>
    /// <param name="availableOnly">Show only available books</param>
    /// <returns>List of books matching criteria</returns>
    /// <response code="200">Returns the list of books</response>
    [HttpGet]
    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
    public ActionResult<IEnumerable<Book>> GetBooks(
        [FromQuery] string genre = "",
        [FromQuery] string search = "",
        [FromQuery] bool availableOnly = true)
    {
        // ... implementation
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Retrieves a specific book by ID
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="id">The book ID</param>
    /// <returns>The requested book</returns>
    /// <response code="200">Returns the requested book</response>
    /// <response code="404">If the book is not found</response>
    [HttpGet("{id}")]
    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
    [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
    public ActionResult<Book> GetBook(int id)
    {
        // ... implementation
    }}
  

8. Best Practices & Common Pitfalls 🚨

8.1 Do's and Don'ts

✅ DO:

csharp

  
    // ✅ Use dependency injectionpublic class BookService{
    private readonly IBookRepository _repository;
    public BookService(IBookRepository repository) => _repository = repository;}

// ✅ Return appropriate HTTP status codesreturn NotFound(); // 404return Ok(book);   // 200return Created();  // 201return NoContent(); // 204

// ✅ Validate input modelspublic class Book{
    [Required]
    [StringLength(100)]
    public string Title { get; set; }}
  

❌ DON'T:

csharp

  
    // ❌ Don't use static lists in productionprivate static List<Book> _books = new(); // Only for demos!

// ❌ Don't ignore exceptionstry { /* code */ } 
catch { /* empty catch - BAD! */ }

// ❌ Don't return sensitive data in errorscatch (Exception ex){
    return BadRequest(ex.Message); // Might expose internal details}
  

8.2 Security Best Practices

csharp

  
    var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Security headers
builder.Services.AddHsts(options =>{
    options.Preload = true;
    options.IncludeSubDomains = true;
    options.MaxAge = TimeSpan.FromDays(365);});

var app = builder.Build();

// Security middleware
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseHsts(); // HTTP Strict Transport Security

// Add security headers
app.Use(async (context, next) =>{
    context.Response.Headers.Add("X-Content-Type-Options", "nosniff");
    context.Response.Headers.Add("X-Frame-Options", "DENY");
    context.Response.Headers.Add("X-XSS-Protection", "1; mode=block");
    await next();});
  

9. Testing Your Application ✅

9.1 Unit Testing Example

csharp

  
    // Unit tests for Book modelpublic class BookTests{
    [Fact]
    public void Book_IsRecentlyPublished_ReturnsTrue_ForRecentBook()
    {
        // Arrange
        var recentBook = new Book 
        { 
            PublishedDate = DateTime.UtcNow.AddMonths(-1) 
        };
        
        // Act
        var isRecent = recentBook.IsRecentlyPublished();
        
        // Assert
        Assert.True(isRecent);
    }

    [Theory]
    [InlineData(5, "Budget")]
    [InlineData(15, "Standard")]
    [InlineData(30, "Premium")]
    [InlineData(100, "Luxury")]
    public void Book_GetPriceCategory_ReturnsCorrectCategory(decimal price, string expectedCategory)
    {
        // Arrange
        var book = new Book { Price = price };
        
        // Act
        var category = book.GetPriceCategory();
        
        // Assert
        Assert.Equal(expectedCategory, category);
    }}
  

9.2 Integration Testing

csharp

  
    public class BooksControllerTests : IClassFixture<WebApplicationFactory<Program>>{
    private readonly WebApplicationFactory<Program> _factory;

    public BooksControllerTests(WebApplicationFactory<Program> factory)
    {
        _factory = factory;
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task GetBooks_ReturnsSuccessStatusCode()
    {
        // Arrange
        var client = _factory.CreateClient();

        // Act
        var response = await client.GetAsync("/api/books");

        // Assert
        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
        Assert.Equal("application/json", 
            response.Content.Headers.ContentType?.MediaType);
    }}
  

10. Deployment Preparation 🚀

10.1 Production Configuration

json

  
    // appsettings.Production.json{"ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=production-server;Database=BookCatalog;User Id=appuser;Password=securepassword;"},"Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Warning",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
    }},"AllowedHosts": "yourdomain.com","Kestrel": {
    "Endpoints": {
      "Https": {
        "Url": "https://*:443"
      }
    }}}
  

10.2 Docker Support

dockerfile

  
    # Dockerfile
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0 AS base
WORKDIR /app
EXPOSE 80
EXPOSE 443

FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 AS build
WORKDIR /src
COPY ["BookCatalog.csproj", "."]
RUN dotnet restore "BookCatalog.csproj"
COPY . .
RUN dotnet build "BookCatalog.csproj" -c Release -o /app/build

FROM build AS publish
RUN dotnet publish "BookCatalog.csproj" -c Release -o /app/publish

FROM base AS final
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=publish /app/publish .
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "BookCatalog.dll"]
  

11. What's Next in Part 2? 🔮

Coming in Part 2: Database Integration & Advanced APIs

• Entity Framework Core Setup: Real database integration

• Migrations & Data Seeding: Managing database schema changes

• Repository Pattern: Professional data access layer

• Advanced API Features: Pagination, sorting, filtering

• Input Validation: Comprehensive validation strategies

• Logging & Monitoring: Production-ready observability

Your Homework Before Part 2:

1. Practice: Build your own movie catalog or product inventory API

2. Explore: Try adding new features to the book catalog

3. Experiment: Modify the middleware pipeline

4. Research: Learn about REST API best practices

🎯 Key Takeaways from Part 1

✅  Environment Setup: .NET SDK, IDE, and tools
✅  Project Structure : Understanding  ASP.NET  Core architecture
✅  Basic Controllers: RESTful API endpoints
✅  Middleware Pipeline: Request/response processing
✅  Dependency Injection: Loose coupling principle
✅  Configuration Management: appsettings.json usage
✅  Error Handling: Global exception management
✅  API Documentation: Swagger/OpenAPI setup
✅  Testing Foundation: Unit and integration tests
✅  Security Basics: HTTPS and security headers

Remember: Every expert was once a beginner. You've taken the most important step - starting your journey!

📘ASP.NET Core Mastery with Latest Features : 40-Part Series

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