Generic Repository Pattern With ASP.NET MVC And Entity Framework

6 minute read

Introduction
You may introduce with an Object Oriented Design Principle name DRY – Don’t repeat yourself. It is more important in Multi-tier architecture. We can use generic repository pattern to implement DRY.

What is Repository Pattern?
In most of the business operation we have to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) operation. A repository basically works as a mediator between our business logic layer and our data access layer of the application

Benefits of Repository Pattern

Centralizes data logic or service logic.
Provides a substitution point for the unit tests for both business logic and data access logic
Provides a flexible architecture
Can adopt new change easily
Domain driven development is easier

What is Generic Repository Pattern?
Generic Repository is a pattern by which we can use single repository for data access of all domain models. Generally, we used one repository for one model to access data.

Benefits of Generic Repository Pattern

Reduce redundancy of code
Force developer to work same pattern – Possibility of less error or no error
Easy to maintain – Centralize data access logic

Implementation Repository Pattern with ASP.NET MVC and Entity Framework

Let’s consider a project to keep Employee Information. Here I will show CRUD operation on employee information.

Tools and Technology used I used following tools and technology to develop the project – Implementation of generic repository

Visual Studio 2013
Visual C#
ASP.NET MVC 5
Entity Framework
Razor view engine

Step 1: Create an ASP.NET MVC 5 application using Visual Studio 2013.

Create an asp.net mvc project name - GenericRepo

Step 2: Configure connection string in web.config

<connectionStrings>
  <add name="DefaultConnection" connectionString="Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=GenericRepoDB;User ID=sa; Password=leads@123" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>

Step 3: Create Model – “Employee”

public class Employee
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string FatherName { get; set; }
    public string MotherName { get; set; }
    public string Designation { get; set; }
    public string Dept { get; set; }
}

Step 4: Create a DbContext name GenericDbContext in Repository folder.

public class GenericRepoContext : DbContext
{
    public GenericRepoContext()
        : base("DefaultConnection")
    {
    }
 
    public DbSet<Employee> Employees { get; set; }
 
    protected override void OnModelCreating(DbModelBuilder modelBuilder)
    {
 
    }
}

Step 5: Create IGenericRepository and GenericRepository in Repository folder

interface IGenericRepository<T> where T : class
{
    IEnumerable<T> SelectAll();
    T SelectByID(object id);
    void Insert(T obj);
    void Update(T obj);
    void Delete(object id);
    void Save();
}
 
public class GenericRepository<T> : IGenericRepository<T> where T : class
{
    private GenericRepoContext db = null;
    private DbSet<T> table = null;
    public GenericRepository()
    {
        this.db = new GenericRepoContext();
        table = db.Set<T>();
    }
    public GenericRepository(GenericRepoContext db)
    {
        this.db = db;
        table = db.Set<T>();
    }
    public IEnumerable<T> SelectAll()
    {
        return table.ToList();
    }
    public T SelectByID(object id)
    {
        return table.Find(id);
    }
    public void Insert(T obj)
    {
        table.Add(obj);
    }
    public void Update(T obj)
    {
        table.Attach(obj);
        db.Entry(obj).State = EntityState.Modified;
    }
    public void Delete(object id)
    {
        T existing = table.Find(id);
        table.Remove(existing);
    }
    public void Save()
    {
        db.SaveChanges();
    }
}

Step 6: Create Employee Controller

Create a controller name – EmployeeController.
Select template “MVC5 Controller with read/write action”

public class EmployeeController : Controller
{
    private IGenericRepository<Employee> repository = null;
    public EmployeeController()
    {
        this.repository = new GenericRepository<Employee>();
    }
 
 
    // GET: Employee
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        var employee = repository.SelectAll().ToList();
        return View(employee);
    }
 
    // GET: Employee/Details/5
    public ActionResult Details(int id)
    {
        var employee = repository.SelectByID(id);
        return View(employee);
    }
 
    // GET: Employee/Create
    public ActionResult Create()
    {
        return View();
    }
 
    // POST: Employee/Create
    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Create(Employee employee)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            repository.Insert(employee);
            repository.Save();
 
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
        return View(employee);
    }
 
    // GET: Employee/Edit/5
    public ActionResult Edit(int id)
    {
        var employee = repository.SelectByID(id);
        return View(employee);
    }
 
    // POST: Employee/Edit/5
    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Edit(Employee employee)
    {
        try
        {
            repository.Update(employee);
            repository.Save();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
        catch
        {
            return View();
        }
    }
 
    // GET: Employee/Delete/5
    public ActionResult Delete(int id)
    {
        var employee = repository.SelectByID(id);
        return View(employee);
    }
 
    // POST: Employee/Delete/5
    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Delete(int id, FormCollection collection)
    {
        try
        {
            repository.Delete(id);
            repository.Save();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
        catch
        {
            return View();
        }
    }
}

Step 7: Create List, Edit, Delete and details page against EmployeeController.

Right click on each action and add views

Index.cshtml

@model IEnumerable<GenericRepo.Models.Employee>
 
@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Index";
}
 
<h2>Index</h2>
 
<p>
    @Html.ActionLink("Create New", "Create")
</p>
<table class="table">
    <tr>
        <th>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Name)
        </th>
        <th>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.FatherName)
        </th>
        <th>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.MotherName)
        </th>
        <th>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Designation)
        </th>
        <th>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Dept)
        </th>
        <th></th>
    </tr>
 
@foreach (var item in Model) {
    <tr>
        <td>
            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Name)
        </td>
        <td>
            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.FatherName)
        </td>
        <td>
            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.MotherName)
        </td>
        <td>
            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Designation)
        </td>
        <td>
            @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Dept)
        </td>
        <td>
            @Html.ActionLink("Edit", "Edit", new { id=item.Id }) |
            @Html.ActionLink("Details", "Details", new { id=item.Id }) |
            @Html.ActionLink("Delete", "Delete", new { id=item.Id })
        </td>
    </tr>
}
 
</table>

_CreateOrEdit.cshtml

@model GenericRepo.Models.Employee
 
    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>
 
    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.FatherName, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.FatherName, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.FatherName, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>
 
    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.MotherName, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.MotherName, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.MotherName, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>
 
    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Designation, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Designation, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Designation, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>
 
    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Dept, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Dept, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Dept, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>
 
    <div class="form-group">
        <div class="col-md-offset-2 col-md-10">
            <input type="submit" value="Create" class="btn btn-default" />
        </div>
    </div>

Edit.cshtml

@model GenericRepo.Models.Employee
 
 
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.AntiForgeryToken()
 
    <div class="form-horizontal">
        <h4>Employee</h4>
        <hr />
        @Html.ValidationSummary(true, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        @Html.Partial("_CreateOrEdit", Model)
    </div>
}
 
<div>
    @Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
</div>
 
@section Scripts {
    @Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")
}

Delete.cshtml

@model GenericRepo.Models.Employee
 
<h3>Are you sure you want to delete this?</h3>
<div>
    <h4>Employee</h4>
    <hr />
    <dl class="dl-horizontal">
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Name)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Name)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.FatherName)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.FatherName)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.MotherName)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.MotherName)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Designation)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Designation)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Dept)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Dept)
        </dd>
 
    </dl>
 
    @using (Html.BeginForm()) {
        @Html.AntiForgeryToken()
 
        <div class="form-actions no-color">
            <input type="submit" value="Delete" class="btn btn-default" /> |
            @Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
        </div>
    }
</div>

Details.cshtml

@model GenericRepo.Models.Employee
 
<div>
    <h4>Employee</h4>
    <hr />
    <dl class="dl-horizontal">
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Name)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Name)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.FatherName)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.FatherName)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.MotherName)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.MotherName)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Designation)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Designation)
        </dd>
 
        <dt>
            @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Dept)
        </dt>
 
        <dd>
            @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Dept)
        </dd>
 
    </dl>
</div>
<p>
    @Html.ActionLink("Edit", "Edit", new { id = Model.Id }) |
    @Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
</p>

Step 8: Add a link “Employee” to _Layout page like below

<ul class="nav navbar-nav">
           <li>@Html.ActionLink("Home", "Index", "Home")</li>
           <li>@Html.ActionLink("About", "About", "Home")</li>
           <li>@Html.ActionLink("Contact", "Contact", "Home")</li>
           <li>@Html.ActionLink("Employee", "Index", "Employee")</li>
 </ul>

Step 9: Write following command in package manager console

PM> Enable-Migrations -ContextTypeName GenericRepoContext
PM> Add-Migration initalcreate
PM> Update-Database -Verbose -Force

Now your project is ready. Run application and execute CRUD operation on it.
Source code

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Mahedee Hasan

Generic Repository Pattern With ASP.NET MVC And Entity Framework

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