.NET Technology Stack

Overview

This skill defines the technology stack, conventions, and best practices for .NET/C# projects. Follow these guidelines to ensure consistency across all .NET development work.

Technology Stack

•.NET Version: Always use .NET 10 or later
•C# Language: Use the latest C# version with its newest features
•
Language Features: Leverage modern C# capabilities including:
- •Primary constructors
- •Collection expressions
- •LINQ improvements
- •Pattern matching enhancements
- •File-scoped namespaces
- •Required members
- •And other latest C# language features

Package Management

Always use the dotnet add package command to add NuGet packages. Never manually edit .csproj files to add package references.

Command format:

bash

dotnet add package <package-name>

Examples:

bash

dotnet add package Scalar.AspNetCore
dotnet add package LiteDB
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
dotnet add package xunit
dotnet add package NSubstitute

OpenAPI Documentation

Use Scalar for displaying OpenAPI/Swagger documentation in ASP.NET Core applications.

Package:

bash

dotnet add package Scalar.AspNetCore

Integration Example:

Add the using directive and configure Scalar in Program.cs:

csharp

using Scalar.AspNetCore;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddOpenApi();

var app = builder.Build();

if (app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
    app.MapOpenApi();
    app.MapScalarApiReference();
}

app.Run();

Access: The Scalar API Reference is accessible at /scalar by default.

Customization: You can customize the route and options:

csharp

app.MapScalarApiReference("/docs", options =>
{
    options.WithTitle("My API");
});

Database Selection

Choose the database technology based on project type:

Demo Projects

For demo, proof-of-concept, or sample projects, use LiteDB with an in-memory database.

Package:

bash

dotnet add package LiteDB

Pattern:

csharp

_db = new LiteDatabase("Filename=:memory:");

This creates an in-memory database that doesn't persist data between application restarts, perfect for demos and testing.

Real Projects

For production or real applications, use Entity Framework Core.

Packages:

bash

dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer  # For SQL Server
# Or other provider-specific packages as needed

Use Entity Framework Core with SQL Server database providers.

Data Generation

Use AutoBogus (or Bogus) for generating dummy/test data.

Package:

bash

dotnet add package AutoBogus

Usage: AutoBogus provides automatic fake data generation for testing and development purposes.

Restricted Packages

Do NOT use the following packages as they are paid/commercial:

•FluentAssertion - Use XUnit's built-in assertions or standard .NET assertions instead
•MediatR - Use alternative patterns or libraries that are free/open-source

When alternatives are needed, choose free and open-source packages that provide similar functionality.

Testing Framework

Unit Testing

Use XUnit as the unit testing framework.

Packages:

bash

dotnet add package xunit
dotnet add package xunit.runner.visualstudio

Mocking

Use NSubstitute for creating mocks and test doubles.

Package:

bash

dotnet add package NSubstitute

Example:

csharp

using NSubstitute;
using Xunit;

public class UserServiceShould
{
    [Fact]
    public void ReturnNullWhenUserNotFound()
    {
        var repository = Substitute.For<IUserRepository>();
        repository.GetById(1).Returns((User)null);
        
        var service = new UserService(repository);
        var result = service.GetUser(1);
        
        Assert.Null(result);
    }
}

Naming Conventions

Test Class Names

Test class names must end with the Should suffix.

Examples:

•UserServiceShould
•OrderProcessorShould
•PaymentGatewayShould
•EmailValidatorShould

Test Method Names

Test method names continue the sentence after "should" - they complete the thought started by the class name.

Pattern: ClassNameShould.MethodNameContinuesAfterShould

Examples:

•UserServiceShould.ReturnNullWhenUserNotFound
•UserServiceShould.ThrowExceptionWhenEmailIsInvalid
•OrderProcessorShould.ProcessOrderSuccessfully
•OrderProcessorShould.RejectOrderWhenInventoryInsufficient
•PaymentGatewayShould.ProcessPaymentWhenValid
•PaymentGatewayShould.DeclinePaymentWhenInsufficientFunds

Guidelines:

•Method names should read as a complete sentence when combined with the class name
•Use descriptive action verbs (Return, Throw, Process, Reject, etc.)
•Include the condition or scenario (WhenUserNotFound, WhenEmailIsInvalid, etc.)

Architecture

Architecture patterns, design principles, and structural guidelines are documented in a separate skill. This skill focuses solely on technology choices, package selection, and coding conventions.