Web APIs with ASP.NET Core: A Compilation of Process and Practices

Quick Summary: ASP .NET Core is a robust web development framework with multiple uses. Software developers can use it to build websites, web apps, and APIs. It provides the benefits of .NET platform and allows developers to build apps that are accessible via multiple user end points. Here you can explore everything about Web APIs, including their types, architectures, and development process using ASP .NET Core framework.

Whether you want to create a web application or integrate additional functionalities, Web APIs are crucial. ASP .NET Core is a powerful web application development framework to create web APIs apart from other web-based solutions. It is one of the key implementations of the .NET Core platform.

ASP .NET Core is suitable for creating different types of web APIs that can be used for various purposes. It allows developers to create scalable and secure APIs. There are many advantages of ASP Dot NET core development, including high performance, flexibility, and cross-platform support.

Performance is a major advantage of choosing ASP .NET Core for developing web APIs. Indeed, ASP.NET Core is capable of handling more user requests per second than Java Servlet and Node.js combined. If you are planning to build a web API with ASP .NET Core or looking for API integration services, this guide is for you. It provides complete information about Web APIs along with steps to create the APIs with ASP .NET Core.

What is API?

An API or Application Programming Interface gives a method for two distinct systems to communicate and exchange data. It sets protocols and rules on how different software systems can communicate. In simple terms, APIs are like connecting wires that transmit information from one end to another.

APIs consist of various functions that help to access certain data or features from them. Often APIs are confused with SDK. However, an API is different from an SDK (Software Development Kit). While the application programming interface mediates the communication between two systems, an SDK is a toolkit to create applications and features.

What is a Web API?

A web API, as you can understand by the name, is an API for web-based interfaces. It acts as a messenger between applications on the web. Web APIs use HTTP protocol and other web-based technologies. So, web APIs are used to develop web applications based on server-client architecture.

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Types of Web APIs

If you are planning to create a Web API with ASP .NET, first you would like to decide which type of API you wish to develop. There are different types of Web APIs based on their scope of use and access as mentioned below.

Public API

A Public API also known as an Open API or External API is a publicly accessible application programming interface that any outside developer or business can use in software development. These APIs are not restricted to specific users and can be integrated with software systems for free.

With a Public API, developers can obtain specific data and features from third-party software that they can utilize in their applications. There are many Open APIs easily available in the public domain like Websocket, GraphQL, Google Translate API, and JSONPlaceholder API.

Private API

This is a restricted form of API that isn’t available in the public domain. Private APIs, also known as Internal APIs, are meant to be used by an organization internally and it’s never exposed to outside consumers. These APIs are designed to connect the software and systems within an enterprise. As an example, an organization can have an API to connect HR and Payroll systems.

Private APIs are highly secure because they are utilized internally and don’t offer external use. Examples of Private APIs include the Internal APIs of Netflix that allow their developers to access metadata and other content easily.

Partner API

A Partner API is a kind of API that is provided to specific users. Partner APIs are exposed to users who are trusted and authorized. These APIs help in business-to-business activities and collaboration. For example, CRM systems need access to customer data for their operations. If an organization wants to share this custom data selectively with a third-party service, it can do it with the help of a Partner API.

Composite API

Composite APIs are designed to combine multiple API requests into a single call reducing the round-trip time for every call. It increases efficiency and saves time for your web application. Using this API, you can execute several requests in one database transaction. The best example of a composite API can be seen in eCommerce where an API can execute several requests when placing an order like validating payment information, checking inventory, and updating order history in one call.

Architectures and Protocols of APIs

As APIs exchange data and commands, there should be an architecture and protocol to streamline that communication. There are different types of architectures and protocols that define rules, constraints, and methods to exchange data and commands. All in all, they govern how an API should function.

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The following are the top API architectures and protocols.

RPC

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is the earliest form of API that offers simple interactions. RPC APIs send several parameters and receive results. The RPC protocol works like calling functions with parameters in PHP, JavaScript, Python, and other programming languages. For coding, RPC can use XML or JSON language.

SOAP

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is another standard for creating Web APIs. It is a messaging standard that was established by the WWW (World Wide Web) Consortium. This protocol provides a way to exchange information between web apps in XML format. The messages exchanged between sending and receiving applications are transmitted over application protocols like HTTP, SMTP, TCP/IP, etc.

REST

REST is a modern and the most popular API protocol today. REST is for Representational State Transfer that relies on the client/server approach. It decouples the frontend and backend of APIs making development efficient and flexible.

As a stateless API protocol, it doesn’t store status or data between requests. A RESTful API is one that is built as per the REST constraints. So, when it comes to REST vs. RESTful API comparison, REST is the architecture for APIs, and RESTful is the API built on that architecture.

Why Choose ASP .NET Core for Web APIs?

There are lots of technologies and frameworks out there for web development. ASP .NET Core offers many advantages and is loaded with features that enable you to build secure, scalable, and flexible web applications. Many enterprises are turning to ASP.NET Core to create their enterprise applications. It is widely used for Web API development for the following reasons.

• It offers unified tools and features to build Web APIs and UIs.
• There are built-in testing features.
• Razor Pages offers a page-focused approach that allows you to create a web page with its associated data in a single file.
• It’s a cross-platform framework to develop and run applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.
• This framework is open source.
• It is cloud-ready and has built-in dependency injection.
• ASP .NET Core offers a fast, lightweight, and modular HTTP request pipeline.
• In-built support for multiple data formats.
• It supports routing and ODATA (Open Data Protocol).
• It uses standard web verbs like GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE for CRUD operations.

How to Build Web APIs with ASP .NET Core?

Do you wonder how many types of APIs are there in ASP .NET? ASP .NET supports different types of APIs and you can build SOAP, REST, and other types of APIs.

Controller-based APIs and Minimal APIs are the two approaches you can use to build web APIs for your application. A Controller-based API uses controllers to handle the endpoint logic. Controllers are subclasses of the ControllerBase class. So, communication between the client (web app or browser) and the API is done through the controller.

On the other hand, logical handlers like lambdas and functions are used to define the endpoints in a Minimal API. You can compare and choose between a Minimal API and a Controller-based API to build your web API. Here you will get the steps to create a minimal API with ASP .NET Core framework. Let’s check out these steps.

Step 1: Prerequisites

• You need a code editor or IDE like Visual Studio Code (VSC) or Visual Studio.
• In the case of Visual Studio, you also need to install ASP .NET and web development workload.
• The latest C# for VSC and .NET 7 is required apart from Visual Studio Code.

Step 2: Start with an API Project

• For Visual Studio, you can create an API project by choosing ASP .NET Core Empty from templates. Name your project in the next window and choose .NET 7.0, uncheck “Do not use top-level statements” in the “Additional information” window.
• In the case of Visual Studio Code, go to the integrated terminal, and navigate to the directory where the project will be available, and enter the command: dotnet new web -o “Your API name” without quotes. Navigate to the project directory with cd “Your API name” without quotes. Now use command code –r ../”Your API name” without quotes. Choose “Yes” for dialog boxes asking to trust the authors and add required assets.
• After this step, a web minimal API project is created.

Step 3: Run the Application

• With Visual Studio, run the app by pressing CTRL+F5 and accept the SSL certificate in the dialog box that appears.

Step 4: Create Code

• The Program.cs is the main file where you have to put your logic and code. Create classes based on your requirements and use them in the Program.cs file.
• You also need to add NuGet packages to support database and diagnostics. Implement GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE endpoints according to your app’s requirements. Configure JSON serialization to transmit or store data in JSON format.

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Let’s Summarize

ASP .NET Core Web API helps to build HTTP services that are accessible through different clients such as mobiles and web browsers. ASP .NET Core is a feature-rich web framework for developing web applications and APIs. It is a suitable choice if you wish to build web applications on the .NET platform. You can also use ASP .NET Core MVC to leverage the benefits of MVC patterns to build more flexible web APIs.

If you are looking to build more complex web APIs and applications with the ASP .NET Core framework and lack the expertise, choose Radixweb as your rescuer. As an end-to-end software development partner, we offer extensive support and guidance to build your Web APIs and applications. We have been serving diverse clients for more than two decades and are capable of handling complex projects.