PostgreSQL · Create
Register ARX in a DI container and inject it
Registering ARX in a dependency injection container (Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection, as in ASP.NET Core and worker services) and using it from an application service, in two scenarios: register, then use.
Set up for this page
Besides the sample itself, it uses SampleContext.cs (the dbContext every sample is given); SampleOutput.cs (Step and Show, which print); SampleCatalog.cs (the tables' ids, keys, lookups and display names), in the files below.
1 Register the schema catalog and the service (in ASP.NET Core: builder.Services)
Register the schema catalog and the service once, as singletons (in ASP.NET Core: builder.Services).
Already in scope: connectionString (string)
var services = new ServiceCollection();
services.AddSingleton(SampleCatalog.Build()); // the schema catalog: table ids, keys and selection sets
services.AddSingleton(provider => new ArxPgDbService(connectionString, provider.GetRequiredService<ArxSchemaCatalog>()));
services.AddSingleton<IArxBatchDataService>(provider => provider.GetRequiredService<ArxPgDbService>());
services.AddScoped<CustomerOnboarding>();
return services.BuildServiceProvider();Defined once in this sample.
private sealed class CustomerOnboarding
{
private readonly ArxPgDbService _service;
public CustomerOnboarding(ArxPgDbService service)
{
_service = service;
}
/// <summary>Creates an account and its primary contact together: both or neither.</summary>
public async Task<ArxRecordId> SignUpAsync(string company, string accountNumber, string firstName, string lastName, string email)
{
ArxRecordId accountId = null!;
await _service.RunBatchAsync(async batch =>
{
var account = new ArxEntity("account");
account["name"] = company;
account["account_number"] = accountNumber;
account["status"] = new ArxSelectionSetValue("AccountStatus", "ACTIVE");
accountId = await batch.CreateAsync(account);
var contact = new ArxEntity("contact");
contact["account_id"] = new ArxEntityReference("account", accountId);
contact["first_name"] = firstName;
contact["last_name"] = lastName;
contact["email"] = email;
await batch.CreateAsync(contact);
});
return accountId;
}
}Check it in the database
Note: Nothing is stored: this scenario only registers the catalog and the service.
2 Resolve the application service in a scope (in ASP.NET Core: one per request) and use it
Resolve the application service in a scope (in ASP.NET Core: one per request) and use it.
Already in scope: provider (ServiceProvider)
using var scope = provider.CreateScope();
var onboarding = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<CustomerOnboarding>();
var accountId = await onboarding.SignUpAsync("Proseware Inc.", "ACC-30001", "Olivia", "Grant", "olivia.grant@proseware.example");
Console.WriteLine($"signed up account {accountId} with its primary contact");
Console.WriteLine($"same service instance everywhere: {ReferenceEquals(provider.GetRequiredService<ArxPgDbService>(), provider.GetRequiredService<IArxBatchDataService>())}");Defined once in this sample.
private sealed class CustomerOnboarding
{
private readonly ArxPgDbService _service;
public CustomerOnboarding(ArxPgDbService service)
{
_service = service;
}
/// <summary>Creates an account and its primary contact together: both or neither.</summary>
public async Task<ArxRecordId> SignUpAsync(string company, string accountNumber, string firstName, string lastName, string email)
{
ArxRecordId accountId = null!;
await _service.RunBatchAsync(async batch =>
{
var account = new ArxEntity("account");
account["name"] = company;
account["account_number"] = accountNumber;
account["status"] = new ArxSelectionSetValue("AccountStatus", "ACTIVE");
accountId = await batch.CreateAsync(account);
var contact = new ArxEntity("contact");
contact["account_id"] = new ArxEntityReference("account", accountId);
contact["first_name"] = firstName;
contact["last_name"] = lastName;
contact["email"] = email;
await batch.CreateAsync(contact);
});
return accountId;
}
}Check it in the database
Run it in any SQL tool connected to the database, after the code has run.
SELECT a.name, a.account_number, a.status, c.first_name, c.last_name, c.email
FROM account a
JOIN contact c ON c.account_id = a.id
WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-30001';Expect: 1 row, Proseware Inc. with Olivia Grant: both or neither.
Good to know
Register one ArxPgDbService as a singleton: it holds no connection, so it is shared safely across requests; each call takes a connection from the Npgsql pool. Register the catalog once too. Inject ArxPgDbService itself for Create; inject IArxBatchDataService where the code only needs batch scopes. Code that should not depend on the provider can take IArxDataService instead: see "Set the service up for production".
Run the complete sample
The code above comes from one program, built in a fresh project and run against the database. To run it yourself, here is every file and step.
The program, its files and how to run it
Run it locally
- .NET SDK: .NET SDK 10.0.100 or later 10.0.x (target
net10.0). - Create the project:
Terminal dotnet new console -n ArxSample -f net10.0 cd ArxSample - Install the packages:
Terminal dotnet add package ARX.SDK.PostgreSql --version 1.0.0-rc.1 dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection --version 8.0.1 - Database: a PostgreSQL 16 (tested with 16.15) database with the sample schema.
- Configuration: set
ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQLto its connection string. Nothing is hard-coded. - Source code: replace
Program.csand add the 4 other files below, with the file names shown. - Run it:
Terminal dotnet run - Expected output: below.
The files
Runs the sample. Generated for this page; it reads the connection string from the environment.
using ArxSamples.PostgreSql;
using ArxSamples.PostgreSql.Operations.Create.AdvancedCases;
// The connection string comes from the environment, never from the code (see "Configure the connection").
var connectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQL")
?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Set the ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQL environment variable to your PostgreSQL connection string.");
await new Advanced1_DependencyInjection().RunAsync(new SampleContext(connectionString));
The sample, as it is in the repository.
using ARX.SDK.PostgreSql.Services;
using ARX.SDK.Services;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using static ArxSamples.PostgreSql.SampleOutput;
namespace ArxSamples.PostgreSql.Operations.Create.AdvancedCases;
/// <summary>
/// Registering ARX in a dependency injection container (Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection, as in ASP.NET Core
/// and worker services) and using it from an application service, in two scenarios: register, then use.
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// Register one ArxPgDbService as a singleton: it holds no connection, so it is shared safely across requests; each call
/// takes a connection from the Npgsql pool. Register the catalog once too. Inject ArxPgDbService itself for Create; inject
/// IArxBatchDataService where the code only needs batch scopes. Code that should not depend on the provider can take IArxDataService
/// instead: see "Set the service up for production".
/// </remarks>
public sealed class Advanced1_DependencyInjection : ISample
{
public string Name => "create-advanced-1-dependency-injection";
public string Title => "Register ARX in a DI container and inject it";
public async Task RunAsync(SampleContext dbContext)
{
await using var provider = Scenario1_RegisterTheCatalogAndTheService(dbContext);
await Scenario2_UseItFromAnApplicationServiceAsync(provider);
}
/// <summary>1. Register the schema catalog and the service once, as singletons (in ASP.NET Core: builder.Services).</summary>
private static ServiceProvider Scenario1_RegisterTheCatalogAndTheService(SampleContext dbContext)
{
Step("1. Register the schema catalog and the service (in ASP.NET Core: builder.Services)");
var services = new ServiceCollection();
services.AddSingleton(SampleCatalog.Build()); // the schema catalog: table ids, keys and selection sets
services.AddSingleton(provider => new ArxPgDbService(dbContext.ConnectionString, provider.GetRequiredService<ArxSchemaCatalog>()));
services.AddSingleton<IArxBatchDataService>(provider => provider.GetRequiredService<ArxPgDbService>());
services.AddScoped<CustomerOnboarding>();
/* ===========================================================
* [DIRECT QUERY CHECK]
* -----------------------------------------------------------
* -- Nothing is stored: this scenario only registers the catalog and the service.
* ===========================================================
*/
return services.BuildServiceProvider();
}
/// <summary>2. Resolve the application service in a scope (in ASP.NET Core: one per request) and use it.</summary>
private static async Task Scenario2_UseItFromAnApplicationServiceAsync(ServiceProvider provider)
{
Step("2. Resolve the application service in a scope (in ASP.NET Core: one per request) and use it");
using var scope = provider.CreateScope();
var onboarding = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<CustomerOnboarding>();
var accountId = await onboarding.SignUpAsync("Proseware Inc.", "ACC-30001", "Olivia", "Grant", "olivia.grant@proseware.example");
Show($"signed up account {accountId} with its primary contact");
Show($"same service instance everywhere: {ReferenceEquals(provider.GetRequiredService<ArxPgDbService>(), provider.GetRequiredService<IArxBatchDataService>())}");
/* ===========================================================
* [DIRECT QUERY CHECK]
* -----------------------------------------------------------
* SELECT a.name, a.account_number, a.status, c.first_name, c.last_name, c.email
* FROM account a
* JOIN contact c ON c.account_id = a.id
* WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-30001';
* -- Expect: 1 row, Proseware Inc. with Olivia Grant: both or neither.
* ===========================================================
*/
}
/// <summary>An application service, as it would sit in your own code. ARX comes in through its constructor.</summary>
private sealed class CustomerOnboarding
{
private readonly ArxPgDbService _service;
public CustomerOnboarding(ArxPgDbService service)
{
_service = service;
}
/// <summary>Creates an account and its primary contact together: both or neither.</summary>
public async Task<ArxRecordId> SignUpAsync(string company, string accountNumber, string firstName, string lastName, string email)
{
ArxRecordId accountId = null!;
await _service.RunBatchAsync(async batch =>
{
var account = new ArxEntity("account");
account["name"] = company;
account["account_number"] = accountNumber;
account["status"] = new ArxSelectionSetValue("AccountStatus", "ACTIVE");
accountId = await batch.CreateAsync(account);
var contact = new ArxEntity("contact");
contact["account_id"] = new ArxEntityReference("account", accountId);
contact["first_name"] = firstName;
contact["last_name"] = lastName;
contact["email"] = email;
await batch.CreateAsync(contact);
});
return accountId;
}
}
}
What every sample is given: the connection string (and the ISample interface the samples implement).
namespace ArxSamples.PostgreSql;
/// <summary>One documentation sample: a scenario a real application has, shown end to end.</summary>
public interface ISample
{
/// <summary>The name to run it alone: <c>dotnet run -- <name></c>.</summary>
string Name { get; }
/// <summary>One line on what it shows.</summary>
string Title { get; }
Task RunAsync(SampleContext dbContext);
}
/// <summary>
/// What a sample is given. Every sample gets the connection string; the application's service and catalog
/// (SampleContext.Application.cs) and the plain Npgsql read-back helper (SampleContext.Direct.cs) live in their own
/// files, so a sample needs only the files it uses.
/// </summary>
public sealed partial class SampleContext
{
public SampleContext(string connectionString)
{
ConnectionString = connectionString;
}
public string ConnectionString { get; }
}
How the samples print: Step for each scenario, Show for what it did, ShowError for an error caught on purpose.
using ARX.SDK;
namespace ArxSamples.PostgreSql;
/// <summary>How the samples print: a numbered step for each scenario, then what it did.</summary>
public static class SampleOutput
{
/// <summary>The start of a scenario: <c>Step("1. By the id Create returned")</c>.</summary>
public static void Step(string text) => Console.WriteLine($" > {text}");
/// <summary>What the scenario did.</summary>
public static void Show(string text) => Console.WriteLine($" {text}");
/// <summary>An ARX error the scenario caught on purpose.</summary>
public static void ShowError(ArxException exception)
=> Console.WriteLine($" caught {exception.GetType().Name}: {exception.Message}");
}
The application's schema catalog: every table's id column and keys, and its selection sets.
using ARX.SDK.Services;
using System.Text.Json;
using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
namespace ArxSamples.PostgreSql;
/// <summary>An account's industry. Stored in account.industry (smallint) as the enum's number.</summary>
public enum Industry : short
{
Retail = 1,
Manufacturing = 2,
Healthcare = 3,
Finance = 4,
Technology = 5
}
/// <summary>
/// The application's schema catalog: every table's id column and keys, and every picklist (selection set),
/// defined once.
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// <para>
/// <b>Ids.</b> Every table the application writes is declared with its one id column: its name, its .NET type, and
/// whether the database generates it (<c>ArxIdColumn.Generated</c>: identity, sequence, default) or the caller supplies
/// it (<c>ArxIdColumn.Supplied</c>: a natural id, a client-generated Guid). A table with no id column, such as a log or a
/// table identified by several columns together, is declared <c>ArxIdColumn.NoIdColumn</c>. ARX never reads ids from
/// the database: the developer knows the schema, and an undeclared table is refused (ARX1016).
/// </para>
/// <para>
/// <b>Keys.</b> Optional business keys: one or more columns whose values identify a record, such as an account number,
/// or a region and a SKU together. Create doesn't use them (the database's unique constraints do the enforcing); Update
/// and Delete will be able to find rows by them. <c>ValidateSchemaAsync</c> checks ids and keys against the database
/// when you ask it to.
/// </para>
/// <para>
/// <b>Selection sets.</b> /// A selection set (picklist, option set) is a column that only accepts a fixed list of codes, each with a display
/// text: an account's status (ACTIVE, ON_HOLD, CLOSED), a contact's preferred channel (E, P, S). The catalog tells ARX,
/// for each set:
/// </para>
/// <list type="bullet">
/// <item><b>Name</b>: what an <see cref="ArxSelectionSetValue"/> refers to, for example <c>new ArxSelectionSetValue("AccountStatus", "ON_HOLD")</c>.</item>
/// <item><b>Kind</b>: what the codes are, matching the column: Integer, String, Character, Boolean, Decimal, Guid, or a
/// PostgreSQL enum type (DatabaseEnum).</item>
/// <item><b>Multiplicity</b>: Single (one code), or several codes stored as an array (Array), bit flags (Flags), a
/// delimited string (Delimited) or a JSON array (Json).</item>
/// <item><b>Options</b>: each code with its display text and order. A retired option (<c>IsActive: false</c>) stays
/// readable in old rows, but can't be written any more.</item>
/// </list>
/// <para>
/// Build the catalog once at startup and give it to the service: <c>new ArxPgDbService(connectionString, SampleCatalog.Build())</c>.
/// ARX checks every <see cref="ArxSelectionSetValue"/> against it in memory, before any SQL is sent, and stores the code
/// itself in the column: no lookup table, no extra query. A plain value (a string or number that isn't an
/// ArxSelectionSetValue) isn't checked.
/// </para>
/// <para>
/// The catalog is plain code, so the options can come from wherever you keep them: written out here, taken from a .NET
/// enum (<c>AddEnum</c>), loaded from JSON (<see cref="SetsJson"/> and <see cref="FromJson"/> below), or loaded at
/// startup from your own option table and passed to <c>new ArxSelectionSetDefinition(name, kind, options)</c>. ARX
/// never reads option tables or files itself.
/// </para>
/// </remarks>
public static class SampleCatalog
{
/// <summary>
/// Selection sets kept as JSON, as an application might keep them in a file, a settings store or a database column.
/// Here the JSON is in the class itself; in an application, read it from wherever you keep it
/// (<c>File.ReadAllText("selection-sets.json")</c>, configuration, an HTTP call) and pass it to <see cref="FromJson"/>.
/// "multiplicity" and "active" are optional (Single and true).
/// </summary>
public const string SetsJson = """
[
{
"name": "LeadSource",
"kind": "String",
"options": [
{ "value": "WEB", "text": "Website", "order": 0 },
{ "value": "REFERRAL", "text": "Referral", "order": 1 },
{ "value": "EVENT", "text": "Trade show", "order": 2 },
{ "value": "COLD_CALL", "text": "Cold call", "order": 3, "active": false }
]
},
{
"name": "ContactRating",
"kind": "Integer",
"multiplicity": "Single",
"options": [
{ "value": 1, "text": "Poor" },
{ "value": 2, "text": "Fair" },
{ "value": 3, "text": "Good" },
{ "value": 4, "text": "Very good" },
{ "value": 5, "text": "Excellent" }
]
}
]
""";
public static ArxSchemaCatalog Build()
{
var builder = ArxSchemaCatalog.Create()
// ---------- tables: id column and keys ----------
// Generated bigint ids (bigserial): the database fills them in. The keys are the unique columns that also
// identify a record.
.Table("account", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id")).Key("account", "account_number")
.Table("contact", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id")).Key("contact", "email")
// Retrieve: a contact's account_id reads back as a reference to its account, named by the account's
// name; a contact is named by its first and last names.
.Lookup("contact", "account_id", "account")
.DisplayName("account", "name")
.DisplayName("contact", new[] { "first_name", "last_name" }, " ")
.Table("product_category", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id")).Key("product_category", "name")
.Table("product", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id")).Key("product", "sku")
.Table("sales_order", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id")).Key("sales_order", "order_number")
.Table("order_line", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id"))
.Table("data_type_showcase", ArxIdColumn.Generated<long>("id"))
// A natural id: the caller gives the ISO country code.
.Table("country", ArxIdColumn.Supplied<string>("code"))
// A generated uuid id (DEFAULT gen_random_uuid()).
.Table("device", ArxIdColumn.Generated<Guid>("id")).Key("device", "serial_number")
// No id column: a price is identified by its region and SKU together, a compound key.
.Table("price_list", ArxIdColumn.NoIdColumn).Key("price_list", "region", "sku")
// No primary key at all: the same action can be logged twice.
.Table("activity_log", ArxIdColumn.NoIdColumn)
// A partitioned table without an id: a visit is a fact, never updated (Retrieve Advanced8).
.Table("web_visit", ArxIdColumn.NoIdColumn)
// ---------- selection sets ----------
// From a .NET enum: the set is named after the enum ("Industry"), the codes are its numbers (Retail = 1, …),
// the display texts are its member names. Column: account.industry smallint.
.AddEnum<Industry>()
// Written out: String codes with display texts, single choice. Column: account.status text.
.Add("AccountStatus", ArxSelectionSetKind.String, ("ACTIVE", "Active"), ("ON_HOLD", "On hold"), ("CLOSED", "Closed"))
// Multiple choice, stored as an array of codes. RESELLER is retired: rows that have it still read back,
// but new writes can't use it. Column: account.segments text[].
.Add(new ArxSelectionSetDefinition("CustomerSegment", ArxSelectionSetKind.String, new[]
{
new ArxSelectionSetOption("SMB", "Small business", 0),
new ArxSelectionSetOption("ENTERPRISE", "Enterprise", 1),
new ArxSelectionSetOption("PUBLIC", "Public sector", 2),
new ArxSelectionSetOption("RESELLER", "Reseller", 3, IsActive: false)
}, ArxSelectionSetMultiplicity.Array))
// Single-character codes. Column: contact.preferred_channel char(1).
.Add("ContactChannel", ArxSelectionSetKind.Character, ('E', "Email"), ('P', "Phone"), ('S', "Text message"))
// The labels of a PostgreSQL enum type: the value is written with a cast to that type.
// Column: data_type_showcase.mood showcase_mood.
.Add(new ArxSelectionSetDefinition("Mood", ArxSelectionSetKind.DatabaseEnum, new[]
{
new ArxSelectionSetOption("happy", "Happy", 0),
new ArxSelectionSetOption("neutral", "Neutral", 1),
new ArxSelectionSetOption("sad", "Sad", 2)
}, databaseTypeName: "showcase_mood"));
// Loaded from JSON: LeadSource (contact.lead_source text) and ContactRating (contact.rating smallint).
foreach (var set in FromJson(SetsJson))
{
builder.Add(set);
}
return builder.Build();
}
/// <summary>Reads selection set definitions from JSON (the shape of <see cref="SetsJson"/>).</summary>
public static IEnumerable<ArxSelectionSetDefinition> FromJson(string json)
{
var options = new JsonSerializerOptions
{
PropertyNameCaseInsensitive = true,
Converters = { new JsonStringEnumConverter() } // "String", "Integer", "Array", … as names
};
var sets = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<List<JsonSet>>(json, options)
?? throw new InvalidOperationException("The selection set JSON is empty.");
foreach (var set in sets)
{
yield return new ArxSelectionSetDefinition(
set.Name,
set.Kind,
set.Options.Select(x => new ArxSelectionSetOption(Code(x.Value, set.Kind), x.Text, x.Order, x.Active)),
set.Multiplicity,
set.DatabaseTypeName);
}
}
/// <summary>A JSON value as a code of the set's kind: JSON has no char, Guid or 64-bit integer of its own.</summary>
private static object Code(JsonElement value, ArxSelectionSetKind kind) => kind switch
{
ArxSelectionSetKind.Integer => value.GetInt64(),
ArxSelectionSetKind.Decimal => value.GetDecimal(),
ArxSelectionSetKind.Boolean => value.GetBoolean(),
ArxSelectionSetKind.Guid => value.GetGuid(),
ArxSelectionSetKind.Character => value.GetString()![0],
_ => value.GetString()! // String and DatabaseEnum
};
private sealed record JsonSet(
string Name,
ArxSelectionSetKind Kind,
List<JsonOption> Options,
ArxSelectionSetMultiplicity Multiplicity = ArxSelectionSetMultiplicity.Single,
string? DatabaseTypeName = null);
private sealed record JsonOption(JsonElement Value, string Text, int Order = 0, bool Active = true);
}
Expected output
What dotnet run printed when the sample was verified, on a freshly created sample schema. Ids differ when the tables already hold rows.
> 1. Register the schema catalog and the service (in ASP.NET Core: builder.Services)
> 2. Resolve the application service in a scope (in ASP.NET Core: one per request) and use it
signed up account 1 with its primary contact
same service instance everywhere: True