An illustration of a Swiss Army knife with an absurd number of impractical tools, representing the "generic hell" of over-engineered generic repositories.

Building Maintainable EF Core Repositories Without Generic Hell

Most EF Core projects start with a generic repository that soon turns into a mess of type parameters and leaky abstractions. In this post, learn how to design maintainable, aggregate-specific repositories that are clean, testable, and production-ready.

November 13, 2025 · Last modified: November 25, 2025 · 10 min
Diagram showing CQRS architecture in ASP.NET Core without MediatR, where controllers send commands and queries directly to their handlers without a mediator.

Implement CQRS in ASP.NET Core Without MediatR

If you’ve worked with modern ASP.NET Core, you’ve almost certainly encountered MediatR. It’s a fantastic library, and for good reason; it has become the de-facto standard for implementing the CQRS pattern in .NET, helping you build clean, decoupled, and maintainable applications. But have you ever paused to look behind the curtain? In my experience building several lean microservices, I’ve found that while MediatR is a go-to, there are times when a simpler, handcrafted approach is more effective. This post is born from that experience. ...

November 10, 2025 · Last modified: November 12, 2025 · 6 min

How to Structure Your ASP.NET Core API for Clean Testing

A practical guide to structuring ASP.NET Core APIs for reliable integration and unit testing using clean architecture principles and minimal, production-ready C# code.

November 7, 2025 · 7 min

Optimistic vs. Pessimistic Concurrency in EF Core: A Conceptual Deep Dive

EF Core’s default optimistic concurrency model is a great starting point, but it’s not a silver bullet. When write contention heats up, its limitations can lead to performance bottlenecks and data integrity challenges. Understanding the trade-offs between optimistic and pessimistic concurrency is crucial for building robust, scalable applications. This article explores the conceptual costs and benefits of each strategy, helping you decide when to stick with the default and when to reach for explicit locking. ...

November 4, 2025 · 9 min

The Clean Code Rules I Wish I Knew Sooner (Beyond SOLID)

This guide covers 22 clean code principles in C# that go beyond SOLID, naming, error handling, layering, and API design for real-world maintainable systems.

October 28, 2025 · Last modified: November 25, 2025 · 14 min

ASP.NET Core Response Compression with Brotli & Gzip

Cut payload size by 60–80% in ASP.NET Core with built-in Brotli and Gzip compression. Step-by-step code, production tweaks, and real benchmarks.

October 23, 2025 · 4 min

Hybrid Caching Strategies Beyond MemoryCache in ASP.NET Core

Your app performs well with MemoryCache for 1K users. But when traffic scales to 10K users across three load-balanced servers, cache misses explode and response times spike to 800ms. I’ve seen production APIs crash under load because the team relied solely on MemoryCache. Here’s how we fixed it with hybrid caching strategies that combine the speed of local memory with the consistency of distributed cache. TL;DR MemoryCache works for single servers but fails in distributed environments Hybrid caching uses MemoryCache (L1) + Redis (L2) for best performance Multi-tenant apps need tenant-scoped cache keys to prevent data leakage System.Text.Json provides the best balance of performance and debuggability Monitor cache hit ratios per tenant and cache level for optimal tuning MemoryCache works great for single-server applications, but it hits hard limits in distributed environments. This guide covers hybrid caching strategies that keep your multi-tenant ASP.NET Core apps fast and scalable, with real benchmarks and production-ready code. ...

October 20, 2025 · 7 min

IAsyncEnumerable vs Task.WhenAll: Choosing Between Speed and User Experience in C#

Real benchmark results comparing IAsyncEnumerable and Task.WhenAll. Learn when to choose speed vs responsiveness, memory efficiency, and user experience in C# async operations.

October 16, 2025 · 9 min

SQL Indexing Strategies Every Developer Should Know

A practical guide to SQL indexing strategies every developer should know. Includes real-world scenarios, code examples, and performance tuning insights.

October 11, 2025 · 7 min

Why Copy-Paste Coding Is Worse Than You Think

Copy-paste coding may seem convenient, but it often causes hidden bugs. Learn practical C# patterns to replace duplication and maintain clean, maintainable code.

October 7, 2025 · 8 min
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