.NET Controllers or Minimal API’s ?

.Net Controller or Minimal API

Both Controllers and Minimal APIs are ways to build web APIs in .NET, but they represent different approaches with distinct advantages and use cases.

Controllers

• Traditional Approach: Controllers are the cornerstone of ASP.NET MVC and Web API development. They are classes with methods (actions) that handle incoming requests and return responses.
• Structure: Controllers typically follow a Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, providing a clear separation of concerns.

MVC Structure

Features

Controllers offer a wide range of features, including:

1. Action Filters: Attributes that modify the behavior of actions (e.g., authorization, caching).

Understanding Action Filters (C#)

2. Model Binding: Automatic conversion of request data into .NET objects.

Model Binding in ASP.NET Core

3. Dependency Injection: Seamless integration with the .NET dependency injection system.

4. Routing: Flexible routing options to define how requests are mapped to actions.

Example:

[ApiController]
[Route("[controller]")]
public class ProductsController : ControllerBase
{
    private readonly IProductService _productService;

    public ProductsController(IProductService productService)
    {
        _productService = productService;
    }

    [HttpGet("{id}")]
    public async Task<IActionResult> GetProduct(int id)
    {
        var product = await _productService.GetProductByIdAsync(id);
        if (product == null)
        {
            return NotFound();
        }
        return Ok(product);
    }
}