Create a New ASP.NET Core Web API Project

ASP.NET Core Web API is a framework in the ASP.NET Core ecosystem that allows developers to create HTTP-based services (APIs) to handle data exchange between clients and servers. These APIs are platform-independent and can be consumed by various clients such as web apps, mobile apps, IoT devices, and other servers.

• Cross-Platform Compatibility ASP.NET Core APIs can run on Windows, Linux, or macOS, allowing deployment in diverse environments.

• Lightweight and High-Performance Built for modern web applications, ASP.NET Core offers improved performance and minimal memory usage.

• Modern Development Practices It supports Dependency Injection, Middleware, and Asynchronous programming, promoting clean and testable code.

• Integration with .NET Ecosystem Easily integrates with Entity Framework Core, SignalR, and other .NET libraries.

• Scalability and Security Includes built-in support for authentication (OAuth, JWT, etc.) and provides tools for building scalable APIs.

• Open Source and Community-Driven Backed by Microsoft and a large open-source community for continuous improvements and resources.

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A blog (short for "weblog") is a type of online platform where individuals, groups, or organizations publish content in the form of articles, posts, or updates, often presented in reverse chronological order (most recent posts first). Blogs can cover any topic or niche and often provide a way for creators to share their thoughts, experiences, and expertise with an audience.

• Id: Unique Identifier (Ulid).

• Author: Author's name.

• Title: Blog post title.

• Content: Blog content.

• Tags: List of tags associated with the post.

• PublishedDate: Date the post was published.

• Comments: List of comments.

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prerequisites

• Install the .NET SDK.

• Use an IDE like Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code.

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2. Create a New ASP.NET Core Web API Project

dotnet new webapi -n BlogApi
cd BlogApi

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3. Add Dependencies for Ulid

Install the Ulid library:

dotnet add package NUlid

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4. Define the Blog Post Model

Create a Models folder and add the BlogPost and Comment classes.

using NUlid;

namespace BlogApi.Models
{
    public class BlogPost
    {
        public Ulid Id { get; set; } = Ulid.NewUlid(); // Auto-generate Ulid
        public string Author { get; set; }
        public string Title { get; set; }
        public string Content { get; set; }
        public List<string> Tags { get; set; } = new List<string>();
        public DateTime PublishedDate { get; set; } = DateTime.UtcNow;
        public List<Comment> Comments { get; set; } = new List<Comment>();
    }

    public class Comment
    {
        public string Author { get; set; }
        public string Content { get; set; }
        public DateTime PostedDate { get; set; } = DateTime.UtcNow;
    }
}

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5. Create a Controller

In the Controllers folder, add the BlogPostsController.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using BlogApi.Models;

namespace BlogApi.Controllers
{
    [ApiController]
    [Route("api/[controller]")]
    public class BlogPostsController : ControllerBase
    {
        private static List<BlogPost> blogPosts = new();

        [HttpGet]
        public ActionResult<IEnumerable<BlogPost>> GetBlogPosts()
        {
            return Ok(blogPosts);
        }

        [HttpGet("{id}")]
        public ActionResult<BlogPost> GetBlogPost(string id)
        {
            var post = blogPosts.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id.ToString() == id);
            return post == null ? NotFound() : Ok(post);
        }

        [HttpPost]
        public ActionResult AddBlogPost([FromBody] BlogPost blogPost)
        {
            blogPost.Id = Ulid.NewUlid(); // Assign a new Ulid
            blogPosts.Add(blogPost);
            return CreatedAtAction(nameof(GetBlogPost), new { id = blogPost.Id }, blogPost);
        }

        [HttpPut("{id}")]
        public ActionResult UpdateBlogPost(string id, [FromBody] BlogPost updatedPost)
        {
            var post = blogPosts.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id.ToString() == id);
            if (post == null) return NotFound();

            post.Author = updatedPost.Author;
            post.Title = updatedPost.Title;
            post.Content = updatedPost.Content;
            post.Tags = updatedPost.Tags;
            post.PublishedDate = updatedPost.PublishedDate;
            post.Comments = updatedPost.Comments;

            return NoContent();
        }

        [HttpDelete("{id}")]
        public ActionResult DeleteBlogPost(string id)
        {
            var post = blogPosts.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Id.ToString() == id);
            if (post == null) return NotFound();

            blogPosts.Remove(post);
            return NoContent();
        }
    }
}