Clean Architecture Template for .NET 8

A comprehensive Clean Architecture template built with .NET 8, following Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles and implementing CQRS pattern with MediatR.

Architecture Overview

This template implements Clean Architecture with clear separation of concerns across multiple layers:

Project	Purpose	Key Components	Dependencies
Project.API	Web API hosting and configuration	Program.cs, Middleware, Service registration	Presentation, Application
Project.Presentation	HTTP endpoints and request handling	Carter endpoints, Controllers	Application, Contracts
Project.Application	Business logic orchestration	MediatR Handlers, Pipeline Behaviors	Domain, Contracts
Project.Domain	Core business logic and rules	Entities, Value Objects, Domain Events	None
Project.Persistence	Data access and storage	AppDbContext, Repositories, Migrations	Domain, Contracts
Project.Infrastructure	Cross-cutting concerns	Domain Event Dispatching, External Services	Domain, Application
Project.Contracts	Shared data contracts	DTOs, Commands, Queries, Messages	None (shared across layers)

Key Notes

This template demonstrates modern architectural best practices and design patterns:

• Domain-Driven Design (DDD): Separation of domain, application, infrastructure, and presentation.
• CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation): Separation of write operations (Commands) and read operations (Queries).
• Mediator Pattern (via MediatR): Implements CQRS by dispatching requests to their corresponding handlers, ensuring loose coupling between controllers and business logic.
• Repository Pattern: Abstraction for data access in persistence layer.
• Unit of Work: Coordinated transaction management across multiple repositories.
• Domain Events: Decoupled communication of business events.
• Cross-Cutting Concerns: Centralized handling of logging, validation, exception handling.

Project Structure

Core Projects

[Project].Domain

• Purpose: Contains the core business logic and domain entities\
• Key Components:
  • Entities/: Domain entities and aggregate roots\
  • ValueObjects/: Immutable value objects\
  • DomainEvents/: Domain events for decoupled communication\
  • Abstractions/: Base classes and interfaces\
  • Enums/: Domain-specific enumerations\
  • Exceptions/: Domain-specific exceptions

[Project].Application

• Purpose: Contains application logic and use cases\
• Key Components:
  • UseCases/: Command and query handlers\
  • Behaviors/: MediatR pipeline behaviors (Transaction, Domain Events)\
  • Interfaces/: Application service contracts\
  • DependencyInjection/: Service registration

[Project].API

• Purpose: Web API layer with endpoints and middleware\
• Key Components:
  • DependencyInjection/: API-specific service configuration\
  • Middlewares/: Custom middleware (Exception handling)\
  • Program.cs: Application entry point\
  • appsettings.json: Configuration files

[Project].Persistence

• Purpose: Data access layer using Entity Framework Core\
• Key Components:
  • AppDbContext.cs: Main database context\
  • Configurations/: EF Core entity configurations\
  • Migrations/: Database migration files\

[Project].Infrastructure

• Purpose: Cross-cutting concerns and external integrations\
• Key Components:
  • DomainEvents/: Domain event dispatching and handling\
  • DependencyInjection/: Infrastructure service registration

[Project].Contracts

• Purpose: Shared contracts and DTOs\
• Key Components:
  • Abstractions/: Base interfaces for CQRS\
  • DTOs/: Data transfer objects\
  • Messages/: Application messages and constants\
  • Exceptions/: Shared exception types\
  • Settings/: Configuration settings

[Project].Presentation

• Purpose: Presentation layer components\
• Key Components:
  • Controllers and endpoints\
  • View models and presentation logic

---

How to Use

1. Clone the template

   git clone https://github.com/Bentanik/CleanArchDotNetTemplate

2. Install the template into .NET CLI
   Inside the project root (where .template.config/template.json is located):

   dotnet new install ./

3. Create a new project from the template

   dotnet new cleanarch-cqrs-ddd -n MyApp

   Here:

   • cleanarch-cqrs-ddd is the shortName defined in template.json\
   • -n MyApp specifies the name of the new solution