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gRPC Service Create Using .NET Core 6.0 Entity Framework (Server & Client)

Last modified: May 12, 2022

< ASP.NET Webform - Datatables JQuery plugin Server Side Integration

Over few years, we have been using REST(Representational State Transfer) that use HTTP1.1 method GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to work with server-side resource to create Web API. One of the advantage of Web API is that, it serve single point of consuming server-side resource, e.g. desktop application and mobile apps.

gRPC is a modern open source high performance Remote Procedure Call (RPC) framework that can run in any environment. It usage Http 2 and 7 times or more faster than Web API. It use Proto Buffer, As we can see below, how the server and client work bi-direction

diagram (source : https://grpc.io/docs/what-is-grpc/introduction)

1 Server

1.1. Create a project

project

1.2. Install Nuget Packages

We need going to use Entity Framework Core and InMemory Database (for demo). For you production, you need to select something like SQLServer or MySQL

project

1.3. Data

Create a folder called Entities and create a file named Product and save to this folder

public class Product
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int Price { get; set; }
}

Create a folder called Data and create a file named ProductContext and save to this folder.
The DbContext use Entity Framework Core.
By using DbSet, we mapped C# class file to Database table

public class ProductContext : DbContext
{
    public ProductContext(DbContextOptions<ProductContext> options) : base(options)
    {
    }
    public DbSet<Product> Product { get; set; }
}

Finally for Data, we need to configure the Database Connection. It is mostly done in Program.cs (in .NET 6) however it is also possible to in DbContext
We are use Program.cs to register it
As mentioned before, here you might need to change to MySQL Server or MySQL server

builder.Services.AddDbContext<ProductContext>
    (x => x.UseInMemoryDatabase("demo"));

1.4. Proto

Create Proto as shown below
- Product is used to exchange between Server and Client
- ProductRowIdFilter is like get by id
- Products is collection of Product
- Empty is null/nothing pass

syntax = "proto3";

option csharp_namespace = "gRPC_Server";

package product;

service ProductSrv {

    rpc GetAll(Empty) returns (Products);
    rpc GetById(ProductRowIdFilter) returns (Product);
    rpc Post(Product) returns (Product);
    rpc Put (Product) returns (Product);
    rpc Delete (ProductRowIdFilter) returns (Empty);

}

message Empty {}

message Product{
    int32 ProductRowId = 1;
    int32 ProductId = 2;
    string Name = 3;
    int32 Price = 4;

}

message ProductRowIdFilter{

    int32 ProductRowId = 1;
}

message Products{
    repeated Product items = 1;
}

Mark product proto as Server by editing Project File

<ItemGroup>
    <Protobuf Include="Protos\productProtobuf.proto" GrpcServices="Server" />
</ItemGroup>

Or you can right click the productProtobuf as below

project

1.5. Service

Create a file named ProductService and save it to Services folder.

public class ProductService : ProductSrv.ProductSrvBase
{
	private readonly ProductContext _context;

	public ProductService(ProductContext context)
	{
		_context = context;
	}

	public override Task<Products> GetAll(Empty request, ServerCallContext context)
	{
		var response = new Products();

		var products = (from c in _context.Product
						select new Product
						{
							ProductId = c.Id,
							Name = c.Name,
							Price = c.Price,
						}).ToArray();

		response.Items.AddRange(products);
		return Task.FromResult(response);

	}

	public override Task<Product> GetById(ProductRowIdFilter request, ServerCallContext context)
	{
		var product = _context.Product.Where(w => w.Id == request.ProductId).FirstOrDefault();
		var sProduct = new Product
		{
			Name = product.Name,
			Price = product.Price,
			ProductId = product.Id
		};

		return Task.FromResult(sProduct);

	}
	public override Task<Product> Post(Product request, ServerCallContext context)
	{
		var product = new gRPCServer.Entities.Product()
		{
			Name = request.Name,
			Price = request.Price,
			Id = request.ProductId
		};

		var response = _context.Product.Add(product);
		_context.SaveChanges();

		var resProduct = new Product()
		{
			Name = response.Entity.Name,
			Price = response.Entity.Price,
			ProductId = response.Entity.Id
		};

		return Task.FromResult(resProduct);
	}
	public override Task<Product> Put(Product request, ServerCallContext context)
	{
		var product = _context.Product.Where(w => w.Id == request.ProductId).FirstOrDefault();

		if (product == null)
			return Task.FromResult<Product>(null);

		product.Id = request.ProductId;
		product.Name = request.Name;
		product.Price = request.Price;

		_context.Update(product);
		_context.SaveChanges();

		var sProduct = new Product()
		{
			ProductId = request.ProductId,
			Name = request.Name,
			Price = request.Price
		};
		return Task.FromResult(sProduct);
	}

	public override Task<Empty> Delete(ProductRowIdFilter request, ServerCallContext context)
	{
		var product = _context.Product.Where(w => w.Id == request.ProductId).FirstOrDefault();

		if (product == null)
			return Task.FromResult<Empty>(null);

		_context.Remove(product);
		_context.SaveChanges();

		return Task.FromResult<Empty>(new Empty());

	}
}

1.5. Register Service in Program.cs

app.MapGrpcService<ProductService>();

project

Consuming gRPC Server

2 Client (ASP.NET 6 MVC)

Create an ASP.NET 6 MVC project
Copy the product.proto from server and paste it to client
rename csharp_namespace to gRPC_Client
Right click product.proto as mark it as client

project project project

2.1 Install Nuget Packages

project project project

2.2 Create a Product Controller and save it to Controllers folder

You can get Server url from launchSettings.json from Properties folder of Server App


using Grpc.Net.Client;
using Grpc.Net.Client;
using gRPC_Client;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using static gRPC_Client.ProductSrv;

namespace gRPCClient.Controllers
{
    public class ProductController : Controller
    {
        private readonly string GrpcChannelURL = "https://localhost:7018";
        // GET: ProductController
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            using var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
            var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
            var products = client.GetAll(new Empty { });

            return View(products);
        }

        // GET: ProductController/Details/5
        public ActionResult Details(int id)
        {

            return View();
        }

        // GET: ProductController/Create
        public ActionResult Create()
        {
            return View();
        }

        // POST: ProductController/Create
        [HttpPost]
        [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
        public async Task<ActionResult> Create(Product product)
        {
            try
            {
                using var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
                var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
                await client.PostAsync(product);
                return RedirectToAction(nameof(Index));
            }
            catch
            {
                return View();
            }
        }

        // GET: ProductController/Edit/5
        public async Task<ActionResult> Edit(int id)
        {
            var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
            var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
            var product = await client.GetByIdAsync(new ProductRowIdFilter { ProductId = id });
            return View(product);
        }

        // POST: ProductController/Edit/5
        [HttpPost]
        [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
        public async Task<ActionResult> Edit(int id, Product product)
        {
            try
            {
                var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
                var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
                await client.PutAsync(product);

                return RedirectToAction(nameof(Index));
            }
            catch
            {
                return View();
            }
        }

        // GET: ProductController/Delete/5
        public async Task<ActionResult> DeleteAsync(int id)
        {
            var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
            var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
            var product = await client.GetByIdAsync(new ProductRowIdFilter { ProductId = id });
            return View(product);
        }

        // POST: ProductController/Delete/5
        [HttpPost]
        [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
        public ActionResult Delete(int id, IFormCollection collection)
        {
            try
            {
                var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress(GrpcChannelURL);
                var client = new ProductSrvClient(channel);
                client.DeleteAsync(new ProductRowIdFilter { ProductId = id });
                return RedirectToAction(nameof(Index));
            }
            catch
            {
                return View();
            }
        }
    }
}

2.3 - Index View

@model gRPC_Client.Products
@*
    For more information on enabling MVC for empty projects, visit https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=397860
*@
@{
}

<a asp-action="Create" >Create</a>

<table class="table table-striped" >
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Id</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Price</th>
            <th></th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        @foreach(var product in Model.Items)
        {
            <tr>
                <td>@product.ProductId</td>
                <td>@product.Name</td>
                <td>@product.Price</td>
                <td>
                    <a asp-controller="Product"
                    asp-action="Edit" 
                    class="btn btn-primary"
                    asp-route-id="@product.ProductId">Edit</a>
                    
                    <a asp-controller="Product"
                    asp-action="Delete" 
                    class="btn btn-danger"
                    asp-route-id="@product.ProductId">Delete</a>

                </td>
            </tr>
        }
    </tbody>
</table>

2.4 - Create View

@model gRPC_Client.Product

@*
    For more information on enabling MVC for empty projects, visit https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=397860
*@
@{
}
@Html.AntiForgeryToken()

<form asp-action="Create" method="post">
    <table class="table table-striped table-striped" >
        <tr>
            <td>Name</td>
            <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Name)</td>
        </tr>
         <tr>
            <td>Price</td>
            <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Price, new { @type = "number" })</td>
        </tr>
    </table>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Submit</button>

</form>
<a asp-action="Index">Back to list</a>

2.5 - Edit View


@model gRPC_Client.Product
@*
    For more information on enabling MVC for empty projects, visit https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=397860
*@
@{
}
@Html.AntiForgeryToken()

<form asp-action="Edit" method="post"> 
   <input type="hidden" asp-for="@Model.ProductId"/>

<table class="table table-striped" >
    <tr>
        <td>Name</td>
        <td>Price</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>
            <input type="text" asp-for="@Model.Name" />
        </td>
         <td>
            <input type="text" asp-for="@Model.Price" />
        </td>
    </tr>
</table>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Update</button>

</form>
<a asp-action="Index">Back to list</a>

2.6 - Delete View

@model gRPC_Client.Product
@*
    For more information on enabling MVC for empty projects, visit https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=397860
*@
@{
}

@Html.AntiForgeryToken()

<form asp-action="Delete" method="post"> 
    <table class="table table-striped" >
        <input type="hidden" asp-for="@Model.ProductId"/>
        <tr>
            <td>Id</td>
            <td>Name</td>
            <td>Price</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>@Model.ProductId</td>
            <td>@Model.Name</td>
            <td>@Model.Price</td>
        </tr>
    </table>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-danger">Delete</button>
</form>
<a asp-action="Index">Back to list</a>