Editor's note
I curated a pretty balanced mix this time: practical API guidance, architecture patterns, and a few performance-focused reads. The MCP server piece stands out for anyone experimenting with AI tooling in .NET, while the sequential GUID and EF Core articles are immediately useful in production code.
Web APIs, testing, and performance
Jasen Fici
April 17, 2025
It's Thursday, and just like a classic muscle car, your .NET skills are built for performance and ready to roar. As we stand on the cusp of the weekend, let's channel that horsepower into mastering the latest .NET trends and tricks. Our meticulously curated articles are here to supercharge not just your knowledge but also your coding prowess. Buckle up and accelerate into a realm of insights that promise to refine your developer journey.
Today's Articles
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Jasen's take on today's picks
Wage Calculator in C# — Part 2: Overtime Logic
A hands-on follow-up on overtime logic that reminds us domain rules get tricky fast.
TOP 15 Mistakes Developers Make When Creating Web APIs
A solid roundup of API mistakes; worth skimming if you build or review public endpoints.
Interface Segregation Principle (ISP)
A clear refresher on ISP that pairs nicely with the testing-heavy articles in this issue.
The Critical Importance of Unit Testing for APIs in C#.NET Development
Strong case for API unit tests here; reliability still starts with fast feedback.
Vibe Coding with Latest Visual Studio Preview
Visual Studio’s latest preview gets some AI-flavored attention with practical implications.
11 Rules for Writing Better Code in C#
Good advice on writing cleaner C# without pretending style alone fixes design.
Build a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server in C#
Microsoft’s MCP server guide is the forward-looking read in the lineup for AI-enabled tooling.
Why would I add vectors to a relational database?
The vectors-and-relational-database discussion is the sort of architecture question teams are asking now.
10 Costly HttpClient Mistakes in C#.NET (And How to Fix Them Like a Pro)
HttpClient pitfalls remain common; this piece is a useful checklist for avoiding subtle production bugs.
How to Generate Sequential GUIDs in .NET
Sequential GUIDs are a niche topic, but they matter when indexing and insert performance start hurting.
Building a Serverless ASP.NET Core Web API using AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway (REST API)
A serverless ASP.NET Core API walkthrough that should help teams weighing AWS Lambda for .NET.
Vertical Slice Architecture In .NET using Cortex.Mediator and Minimal APIs
Vertical slice architecture plus Minimal APIs makes for a pragmatic modern backend pattern discussion.
Interface Contract Testing: A Reusable Test Suite for Interface-First Design in C#
Interface contract testing is a nice bridge between interface-first design and maintainable test suites.
Creating Business Applications Using Blazor
Blazor gets a business-app angle here, with a focus on real UI delivery rather than demos.
.NET Aspire and Azure Functions integration preview
The Aspire and Azure Functions preview is notable for teams building cloud-native .NET systems.
Entity Framework Core Tips: Reduce SQL Server Size and Improve Performance
EF Core tuning advice aimed at reducing SQL Server bloat and improving throughput.
C# String vs. StringBuilder vs. Span — What’s the Best for Performance?
A useful performance comparison for string-heavy code paths, especially where allocations matter.