8. Exploring Minimal APIs in ASP.NET Core: Defining Named Endpoints

Introduction: In the latest version of ASP.NET Core, Minimal APIs offer a streamlined approach to building web APIs with minimal ceremony. In this post, we'll delve into the concept of named endpoints in Minimal APIs and how they can be leveraged to enhance the readability and maintainability of your code.

Defining Named Endpoints: Minimal APIs allow us to define endpoints using the MapGet, MapPost, and similar methods. However, assigning names to these endpoints can be beneficial, especially in larger projects where endpoint management becomes crucial.

Let's consider the following code snippet:

app.MapGet("/api/coupons", () => ...).WithName("GetCoupons");
app.MapGet("/api/coupon/{id}", (int id) => ...).WithName("GetCoupon");
app.MapPost("/api/coupon", ([FromBody] Coupon coupon) => ...).WithName("CreateCoupon");

Here, we're defining three endpoints: "GetCoupons," "GetCoupon," and "CreateCoupon," using the .WithName() method to assign names to them.

Returning Results: In the snippet, we see how the Results.CreatedAtRoute method is used to return responses with a 201 Created status code and a Location header pointing to the newly created resource. The route names assigned to the endpoints are utilized to generate the URLs for the Location header.

return Results.CreatedAtRoute("GetCoupon", new { id = coupon.Id }, coupon);

Conclusion: Named endpoints in Minimal APIs offer a clean and structured way to define and reference your API routes. By assigning meaningful names to endpoints, you enhance code readability and maintainability, making it easier to navigate and understand your API logic.

In your own projects, consider leveraging named endpoints to organize your API routes effectively and streamline your development process.