Modern C# Development

Overview

“Modern C# Development” is your complete guide to professional C# programming in the .NET 8 era. This book covers everything from language fundamentals to advanced architectural patterns, preparing you to build enterprise-grade applications with confidence.

Whether you’re modernizing legacy .NET Framework applications or building cloud-native microservices, this book provides the practical knowledge and best practices you need.

What You’ll Learn

• Modern C# Language Features: Records, pattern matching, nullable reference types, and C# 12 innovations
• Async Programming Mastery: Deep dive into async/await, Task Parallel Library, and concurrency patterns
• ASP.NET Core Development: Building high-performance web APIs and web applications
• Entity Framework Core: Advanced data access patterns, migrations, and performance optimization
• Cloud-Native Architecture: Microservices, containers, Kubernetes, and Azure integration
• Testing Excellence: Unit testing, integration testing, and TDD with xUnit and NUnit
• Performance Engineering: Profiling, optimization techniques, and memory management
• Security Best Practices: Authentication, authorization, and secure coding patterns

Key Features

• Hands-on Projects: Build real-world applications including e-commerce APIs and microservices
• Production-Ready Code: Complete examples with error handling, logging, and monitoring
• Azure Integration: Deploy and scale applications using Azure App Service and Azure Functions
• Best Practices: Industry-standard patterns for maintainable, testable code
• Performance Tips: Benchmarks and optimization strategies for high-throughput applications

Table of Contents

Part I: Modern C# Fundamentals

1. C# Language Evolution: From 7.0 to 12.0
2. Records, Pattern Matching, and Modern Syntax
3. Nullable Reference Types and Safe Code
4. Advanced LINQ and Collection Patterns

Part II: Async and Concurrency

1. Async/Await Deep Dive
2. Task Parallel Library and Parallel Programming
3. Channels and Advanced Concurrency Patterns
4. Performance Considerations in Async Code

Part III: ASP.NET Core Development

1. Building RESTful APIs with ASP.NET Core
2. Minimal APIs and Modern Web Development
3. Authentication and Authorization
4. Middleware, Filters, and Request Pipeline
5. SignalR for Real-Time Communication

Part IV: Data Access and Persistence

1. Entity Framework Core Fundamentals
2. Advanced EF Core: Performance and Optimization
3. Repository and Unit of Work Patterns
4. Dapper and Alternative ORMs

Part V: Testing and Quality

1. Unit Testing with xUnit and NUnit
2. Integration Testing Strategies
3. Test-Driven Development in Practice
4. Behavior-Driven Development with SpecFlow

Part VI: Cloud-Native Development

1. Microservices Architecture with C#
2. Docker and Container Orchestration
3. Azure Service Integration
4. Serverless with Azure Functions

Part VII: Advanced Topics

1. Memory Management and Performance Profiling
2. Logging, Monitoring, and Observability
3. gRPC and Modern RPC Patterns
4. GraphQL APIs with HotChocolate
5. Deployment Strategies and CI/CD

Who This Book Is For

This book is ideal for:

• Intermediate C# developers wanting to master modern .NET development
• Senior developers migrating from .NET Framework to .NET 8
• Full-stack developers building web applications with C#
• Enterprise architects designing scalable cloud-native systems
• Technical leads establishing best practices for their teams

Prerequisites

Readers should have:

• Basic understanding of C# and object-oriented programming
• Familiarity with .NET development environment
• Basic knowledge of databases and SQL
• Experience with Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code

About the Author

Sarah Chen is a Principal Software Engineer at a Fortune 500 technology company, where she leads the modernization of enterprise applications using .NET and Azure. With over 12 years of C# development experience, she has architected and delivered cloud-native systems serving millions of users.

Sarah is a Microsoft MVP, a frequent speaker at .NET conferences including NDC and .NET Conf, and maintains several popular open-source .NET libraries. She is passionate about sharing knowledge and helping developers adopt modern development practices.

Sample Code Repository

All code examples from the book are available on GitHub, including:

• Complete sample applications
• Unit and integration tests
• Docker configurations
• CI/CD pipeline examples
• Azure deployment scripts

Visit the book’s website for updates, errata, and additional resources as the .NET platform evolves.