An Atypical ASP.NET Core 6 Design Patterns Guide — Second Edition was released a few months ago and now includes many changes and improvements, including new C# 10 and .NET 6 features. The second edition is still a journey where we explore architectural techniques together, covering many subjects to learn to think patterns and design. We are learning not just about patterns but also architectural principles with a strong focus on the SOLID principles, taming the perceived complexity of such tenets throughout the book.

We also cover automated testing and use tests as consumers of our code in multiple code samples. Automated testing is key to modern development approaches like continuous integration and DevOps. The strong focus on dependency injection is also still there, making sure readers learn techniques that will help them build ASP.NET Core 6+ applications.

Last but not least, the book still covers numerous design patterns, from multiple of the famous Gang of Four (GoF) patterns to application-level patterns like layering, microservices, and vertical slice architecture.

You can find the content of the first edition in the Book: An Atypical ASP.NET Core 5 Design Patterns Guide: What’s inside? article.

What’s new and what’s changed?

In the second edition, based on readers’ feedback, I addressed the pain points that readers had with the first edition. I also made many small changes to create a more polished product. Of course, I added many new C# 10 and .NET 6 features and revamped many code samples. Next is a list containing some of those changes.

Polishing

• I revamped the titles and sub-titles to make a better Table of Contents, so it’s easier to follow and find specific sections.
• I applied many small changes to the wording, updated the order of some content, added and updated diagrams, and more to make your reading journey better!

Code Style

I updated the code samples to align with the direction .NET is taking, making it easier for you to understand the minimal hosting model. The code style updates are a significant investment I made in the second edition; I hope you like it!

Now, most code samples use top-level statements and the minimal hosting model. They also respect the nullable reference types features introduced in C# 8.0 and enabled by default in .NET 6 project templates, allowing you to learn them at the same time.

Content

• All inlined C# features are now part of Appendix A, making the book focus on one subject while keeping the C# features in there as a reference.
• Appendix A is also a great way to learn about C# features in a single place, and it becomes a better reference; no more need to browse the whole book to find the C# feature you were looking for.
• I added multiple .NET 6 and C# 10 features to Appendix A and leveraged them throughout the book, like File-scoped namespaces, Global using directives, Implicit using directives, and the Minimal hosting model.
• Major update of Chapter 2: Automated Testing
• I improved the explanations of Chapter 3: Architectural Principles, especially the Liskov substitution principle (LSP), removed and revamped code samples, and added the Keep it simple, stupid (KISS) principle.
• Streamlined the content of Chapter 4: The MVC Pattern Using Razor and Chapter 5: The MVC Pattern for Web APIs to make the read faster and more.
• Based on readers’ surveys that pointed to Layering as an aspect you are most interested in, I invested a lot of effort in improving Chapter 12: Understanding Layering. I removed some content, reordered sections, improved the writting, and more.
• The code sample used to demo Layering, Clean Architecture, and that is reused in Chapter 14: Mediator and CQRS Design Patterns were updated to use a rich model, amongst other changes.
• Microservices Architecture was also a major interest of surveyed people, so I invested a lot of effort in improving Chapter 16: Introduction to Microservices Architecture_, like reordering the subjects, updating and adding content, and adding more details about event-driven architecture.
• I also added the Exploring the Microservice Adapter pattern section to Chapter 16: Introduction to Microservices Architecture, which is a very versatile pattern.

Conclusion

The list of changes we just covered represents the major highlights of this second edition. I made so many little improvements that it is impossible to list them all here.

If you did not read the first edition, I’m sure you’ll love the second one. If you read the first edition, I’m sure you’ll get something out of the second one too.

Nevertheless, please share any feedback you may have with me so I can continuously improve your reading experience.

You can find the content of the first edition in the Book: An Atypical ASP.NET Core 5 Design Patterns Guide: What’s inside? article.