Introducing Easy Api – a new way to define and consume Web APIs for Blazor apps.
✅ Contract-First API development
- Bring order to your development process and gain a clear and consistent API structure.
✅ Shared data model
- Harness the true power of Blazor with a single data model for your server and client code.
- Forget about countless DTOs, mapping, versioning, and runtime errors.
- Welcome EasyApi's type-safe contract shared between both ends of your application.
✅ Unified logic across all Render Modes
- Stop worrying about where your client code is running.
- Just call your requests and let EasyApi do the rest.
- It does not matter if it is Wasm, SSR or prerendering – the job gets done.
✅ No boilerplate
- Save time and focus on what's important.
- EasyApi handles both client and server configuration for you.
- All you need to do is define the contract and handle your requests.
Jump right into practice with EasyApi Website – an application that demonstrates how to set up and use EasyApi.
The path to understanding EasyApi is straightforward and consists of getting to know the three key elements of the library - the contract, the server, and the client apps.
EasyApi Contract defines the API endpoints you want to expose and consume. Each endpoint is represented as a C# class
that primarily defines the structure of incoming requests and the type of returned responses along with the HTTP medium details.
1️⃣ Add a new Class Library Project to your Solution.
2️⃣ Reference the BlazorUtils.EasyApi NuGet package.
<PackageReference Include="BlazorUtils.EasyApi" Version="[use the latest version here]" />
1️⃣ Create a class
for your requests.
public class AddComment {}
2️⃣ Declare the HTTP Method you want to use by implementing one of the predefined interfaces
.
public class AddComment : IPost {}
If the API endpoint is to respond with specific data, use a generic version of the interface
and specify the expected response type.
public class AddComment : IPost<Guid> {}
The full list of available interfaces
includes:
IHead
,IGet
andIGet<ResponseType>
,IPost
andIPost<ResponseType>
,IPut
andIPut<ResponseType>
,IPatch
andIPatch<ResponseType>
,IDelete
andIDelete<ResponseType>
.
3️⃣ Declare the API endpoint's route by using the RouteAttribute
.
[Route("api/articles/{ArticleID}/comments")]
public class AddComment : IPost<Guid> {}
Use ProtectedRouteAttribute
if the endpoint requires authorization.
[ProtectedRoute("api/articles/{ArticleID}/comments")]
public class AddComment : IPost<Guid> {}
Caution
Authorization is used only to protect the API endpoint. EasyApi requests are not authorized during pre-rendering and server-side rendering scenarios. Use Blazor authorization measures to protect your Client app.
4️⃣ Define the parameters that make up the request structure.
[ProtectedRoute("api/articles/{ArticleID}/comments")]
public class AddComment : IPost<Guid>
{
[RouteParam]
public Guid ArticleID { get; init; }
[BodyParam]
public string Author { get; init; } = default!;
[BodyParam]
public string Content { get; init; } = default!;
}
You can specify a different way of sending values for each of the parameters by using one of the predefined attributes
:
BodyParamAttribute
- value sent in the body of a HTTP request (if the HTTP Method supports it),HeaderParamAttribute
- value sent as a HTTP Header,QueryStringParamAttribute
- value sent as an argument appended to the requested URL,RouteParamAttribute
- value sent within the requested URL itself.
Note
When using route parameters, the route must contain matching {PropertyName}
placeholders.
The responsibility of the EasyApi Server app is to handle all requests defined in the Contract.
1️⃣ You should start with a Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web
SDK Project that is the Server for your application.
2️⃣ Reference the BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Server NuGet package.
<PackageReference Include="BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Server" Version="[use the latest version here]" />
3️⃣ Register EasyApi services.
using BlazorUtils.EasyApi;
using BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Server;
var contractAssembly = typeof(AddComment).Assembly;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services
.AddEasyApi()
.WithContract(contractAssembly)
.WithServer();
4️⃣ Map EasyApi endpoints.
var app = builder.Build();
// [...]
app.MapRequests();
1️⃣ Create the request handler class
.
internal class AddCommentHandler : IHandle<AddComment, Guid> { }
2️⃣ Implement the IHandle
interface
.
internal class AddCommentHandler(ICommentsRepository CommentsRepository) : IHandle<AddComment, Guid>
{
public async Task<HttpResult<Guid>> Handle(AddComment request, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
{
var newComment = new Comment(request);
var newCommentID = await CommentsRepository.Add(newComment, cancellationToken);
return HttpResult<Guid>.Created(newCommentID);
}
}
The EasyApi Client app creates requests defined in the Contract and sends them to the Server for processing.
1️⃣ You should start with a Microsoft.NET.Sdk.BlazorWebAssembly
SDK Project that is your Client application.
2️⃣ Reference the BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Client NuGet package.
<PackageReference Include="BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Client" Version="[use the latest version here]" />
3️⃣ Register EasyApi services.
using BlazorUtils.EasyApi;
using BlazorUtils.EasyApi.Client;
var contractAssembly = typeof(AddComment).Assembly;
var builder = WebAssemblyHostBuilder.CreateDefault(args);
builder.Services
.AddEasyApi()
.WithContract(contractAssembly)
.WithClient();
4️⃣ Setup the HttpClient
.
Simply register it as a service,
builder.Services.AddScoped(provider => new HttpClient
{
BaseAddress = new Uri(builder.HostEnvironment.BaseAddress)
});
or configure a provider for more control over the HttpClient
.
1️⃣ Inject the caller of the endpoint you want to use.
@inject ICall<AddComment, Guid> AddComment
2️⃣ Create the request.
var request = new AddPost()
{
ArticleID = Article.ID,
Author = "EasyApi Enjoyer",
Content = "This is very easy!"
};
3️⃣ Call the API endpoint.
Use the Call
method to simply get the response,
Guid newCommentID = await AddComment.Call(request);
or turn to the CallHttp
method if you need to access the HttpResult
.
HttpResult<Guid> result = await AddComment.CallHttp(request);
if (result.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.Created)
{
Guid newCommentID = result.Response!;
}
By default, EasyApi uses the HttpClient
registered in the service collection of your Client app. Whenever you need more control over the HttpClient
creation or need to manage different HttpClients
for different API requests, you should set up your own provider.
1️⃣ Implement the IHttpClientProvider
interface
.
internal class HttpClientProvider : IHttpClientProvider
{
public HttpClient GetClient(IRequest request)
{
// your logic goes here
}
}
2️⃣ Register the HTTP client provider for your Client app.
builder.Services
.AddEasyApi()
.WithContract(contractAssembly)
.WithClient()
.Using<HttpClientProvider>();
EasyApi handles the basic API endpoint configuration for you. For advanced scenarios that require more configuration, you should set up your own API endpoint customization.
1️⃣ Implement the IEndpointsCustomization
interface
.
internal class EndpointsCustomization : IEndpointsCustomization
{
public void Customize<Request>(RouteHandlerBuilder builder)
{
// your logic goes here
}
}
2️⃣ Register the endpoints customization for your Server app.
builder.Services
.AddEasyApi()
.WithContract(contractAssembly)
.WithServer()
.Using<EndpointsCustomization>();
- Fixed incorrect HTTP method mapping for IPut requests.
- Fixed null string parameters being deserialized as empty strings.
- Query String and Header params are now skipped when sending null values.
- Baseline version of the library.