MinimalCleanArch

A Clean Architecture toolkit for Minimal APIs on .NET 9 and .NET 10, with vertical-slice-style application organization inside clean dependency boundaries.

Quick Start

Default multi-project app:

dotnet new install MinimalCleanArch.Templates
dotnet new mca -n MyApp
cd MyApp
dotnet run --project src/MyApp.Api

Recommended single-project app:

dotnet new mca -n MyApp --single-project --recommended
cd MyApp
dotnet run

Then open https://localhost:<port>/scalar/v1.

For auth + OpenIddict + Scalar password flow:

dotnet new mca -n QuickAuth --single-project --auth --tests --mcaVersion 0.1.18
cd QuickAuth
dotnet run

Use the auth walkthrough in templates/README.md. For template options, generated structure, and architecture details, see templates/README.md.

Why Use It

• keep domain rules, repository contracts, and specifications separate from infrastructure concerns
• add EF Core persistence without pushing EF types into the domain layer
• bootstrap Minimal API applications with consistent validation, error handling, OpenAPI, rate limiting, and operational defaults
• opt into messaging, audit logging, and encryption only when the application actually needs them
• scaffold new applications with a package set that already follows the intended dependency direction

Architectural Style

• project and package boundaries follow Clean Architecture dependency direction
• application use cases are organized in a vertical-slice/CQRS-friendly style rather than around large layered service classes
• the intent is not “pure vertical slices with no shared layers”; it is clean boundaries plus feature-oriented handlers and endpoints

Core Features

• Domain building blocks (entities, repositories, unit of work, specifications, result pattern)
• Minimal API helpers (validation wiring, standardized error handling, OpenAPI + Scalar)
• Security and encryption (Data Protection/AES column encryption)
• Blob/object storage abstractions with Azure Blob Storage support
• Soft delete and auditing support
• EF Core integration with specification evaluation

Recommended Package Sets

• Core domain and repository abstractions: MinimalCleanArch
• EF Core repositories and specifications: MinimalCleanArch.DataAccess
• Minimal API bootstrap, error mapping, OpenAPI, rate limiting: MinimalCleanArch.Extensions
• FluentValidation registration: MinimalCleanArch.Validation
• Domain events and Wolverine integration: MinimalCleanArch.Messaging
• Audit interception and audit queries: MinimalCleanArch.Audit
• Encrypted EF properties and encryption services: MinimalCleanArch.Security
• Generic blob storage abstraction and Azure Blob Storage integration: MinimalCleanArch.Storage
• Project scaffolding: MinimalCleanArch.Templates

Versions

• Latest stable packages/templates: 0.1.18

Local Validation

• Template validation uses two package sources by default: the local MinimalCleanArch feed and nuget.org.
• This is required because generated projects reference both MinimalCleanArch.* packages and pinned third-party packages.
• Use local-feed-only validation only if your feed mirrors every external dependency used by the templates.

Preferred Integration Path

For new applications, the recommended order is:

1. Model entities, repository contracts, and specifications with MinimalCleanArch.
2. Add EF Core repositories and unit of work with MinimalCleanArch.DataAccess.
3. Add API bootstrap with MinimalCleanArch.Extensions.
4. Register application validators with MinimalCleanArch.Validation.
5. Add MinimalCleanArch.Messaging, MinimalCleanArch.Audit, MinimalCleanArch.Security, and MinimalCleanArch.Storage only when the app actually needs them.

Preferred defaults:

• use specifications through IRepository<TEntity, TKey>
• use AddMinimalCleanArchApi(...) as the main API bootstrap method
• use AddValidationFromAssemblyContaining<T>() for validator registration
• use AddMinimalCleanArchMessaging... extensions instead of wiring Wolverine from scratch
• use Data Protection-based encryption for new development
• use IExecutionContext as the shared source for user, tenant, and correlation data across HTTP and message-handler flows

Dependency Direction

• MinimalCleanArch is the foundation. Other MCA packages can depend on it; your domain layer can depend on it.
• MinimalCleanArch.DataAccess depends on MinimalCleanArch and belongs in infrastructure.
• MinimalCleanArch.Extensions depends on MinimalCleanArch and belongs in the API/host layer.
• MinimalCleanArch.Validation depends on MinimalCleanArch and MinimalCleanArch.Extensions; use it where API validation registration happens.
• MinimalCleanArch.Messaging and MinimalCleanArch.Audit depend on MinimalCleanArch and are optional infrastructure/application-host add-ons.
• MinimalCleanArch.Security is an optional infrastructure package for encryption concerns.
• MinimalCleanArch.Storage is an optional infrastructure package for blob/object storage concerns.
• Domain projects should not reference DataAccess, Extensions, Validation, Messaging, Audit, Security, or Storage.

Packages

Package	Helps achieve	Depends on	Typical layer
MinimalCleanArch	domain model, contracts, specifications, result types	none	Domain
MinimalCleanArch.DataAccess	EF Core repositories, unit of work, audited DbContext base types	MinimalCleanArch	Infrastructure
MinimalCleanArch.Extensions	API bootstrap, validation pipeline, error mapping, OpenAPI, rate limiting	MinimalCleanArch	API/Host
MinimalCleanArch.Validation	validator registration and API validation integration	MinimalCleanArch, MinimalCleanArch.Extensions	API/Host or composition root
MinimalCleanArch.Security	encryption services and encrypted EF property support	no MCA package dependency	Infrastructure
MinimalCleanArch.Storage	blob/object storage abstraction with Azure Blob Storage integration	no MCA package dependency	Infrastructure
MinimalCleanArch.Messaging	domain events, Wolverine integration, outbox-capable messaging	MinimalCleanArch	Infrastructure or host
MinimalCleanArch.Audit	audit interception, audit storage, audit queries	MinimalCleanArch	Infrastructure
MinimalCleanArch.Templates	scaffold new MCA-based applications	packaged templates	Project scaffolding

Additional docs:

• Sample app: samples/MinimalCleanArch.Sample/README.md
• Release notes template: release-notes.md
• Third-party notices: THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.