Showcasing .NET Core

.Net
December 30, 2024

Showcasing .NET Core

.NET Core is a powerful, cross-platform framework for building modern, cloud-based, and high-performance applications. In this blog, we will walk through a real-time example to demonstrate its capabilities and showcase how it can solve real-world business challenges.

Use Case: Real-Time Inventory Management System

Imagine a retail client who wants to track their inventory across multiple locations in real time. They need an application that can:

Synchronize inventory data across stores.
Provide insights into stock levels.
Alert store managers when stock levels fall below a threshold.
Be scalable and accessible on different devices.

Using .NET Core, we can design and develop such an application. Here’s how:

Step 1: Setting Up the Environment

To begin, we’ll set up a .NET Core environment:

Install the latest version of the .NET Core SDK from Microsoft’s website.
Create a new project using the command line:
dotnet new webapi -n InventoryManagement
cd InventoryManagement
Step 2: Designing the Architecture
Our application will use the following architecture:
- Frontend: A responsive Angular or React web app for user interaction.
- Backend: .NET Core Web API to handle business logic.
- Database: SQL Server for data storage.
- Real-Time Updates: SignalR for pushing real-time inventory updates to clients.
- Cloud Hosting: Azure App Service for scalability.
Step 3: Building the Backend
Creating the Data Model
We’ll define a simple inventory model in C#:
public class InventoryItem
{
public int Id { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public int Quantity { get; set; }
public string Location { get; set; }
}
Setting Up the API Endpoints
We’ll create CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) endpoints for managing inventory items. For example, here’s the endpoint to fetch all inventory items:
[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class InventoryController : ControllerBase
{
private readonly List<InventoryItem> _inventory = new();

[HttpGet]
public IActionResult GetAll()
{
return Ok(_inventory);
}
}
Implementing Real-Time Updates with SignalR
SignalR allows us to broadcast inventory updates. Here’s an example of a SignalR hub:
public class InventoryHub : Hub
{
public async Task NotifyUpdate(InventoryItem item)
{
await Clients.All.SendAsync("ReceiveUpdate", item);
}
}
Step 4: Developing the Frontend
Using Angular, we can create a dashboard to display real-time inventory updates. We’ll integrate SignalR to receive updates:
import { HubConnection, HubConnectionBuilder } from '@microsoft/signalr';

@Component({
selector: 'app-inventory',
templateUrl: './inventory.component.html'
})
export class InventoryComponent {
private hubConnection: HubConnection;
inventoryItems: InventoryItem[] = [];

constructor() {
this.hubConnection = new HubConnectionBuilder()
.withUrl('https://yourapi.com/inventoryHub')
.build();

this.hubConnection.on('ReceiveUpdate', (item: InventoryItem) => {
// Update inventory list
});

this.hubConnection.start();
}
}
Step 5: Hosting on Azure
We’ll deploy the backend and frontend to Azure App Services:
1. Create a new App Service instance for the API and frontend.
2. Use Azure SQL Database for managing inventory data.
3. Configure SignalR using Azure SignalR Service for scaling real-time updates.
Benefits for the Client
- Scalability: The app can handle increasing numbers of stores and inventory items.
- Real-Time Updates: Store managers get immediate notifications of inventory changes.
- Cross-Platform Accessibility: Works on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
- Cost-Effective: Built using open-source tools and hosted on a scalable cloud platform.
Conclusion
This example demonstrates how .NET Core’s versatility and robust ecosystem can be leveraged to build real-time applications. By combining modern technologies like SignalR and Azure, businesses can achieve efficient, scalable, and user-friendly solutions.

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