Editor's note
I pulled a deliberately mixed lineup again: API design, performance work, architecture, testing, and a few AI-adjacent pieces. The unified response and EF Core audit posts are especially practical, while the Span and Dictionary articles reward anyone chasing real-world speedups.
ASP.NET Core APIs, performance, and testing
Jasen Fici
August 12, 2025
As you sip your coffee this Tuesday morning, take a moment to reflect on the elegance of finely crafted code—much like that classic Mustang you've been eyeing. This edition of our .NET newsletter is tailored for developers who appreciate both the nostalgia of dial-up and the promise of .NET 10's latest features. We've assembled a collection of insights as precise as your favorite algorithms, designed to ignite that mid-week spark and keep your development gears turning. Let's explore what makes our digital world spin a bit smoother today.
Today's Articles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jasen's take on today's picks
474: Apple Intelligence for C# and .NET
Frank’s Apple Intelligence work is the most unusual item here, and it’s a fun look at where .NET can reach beyond the usual server-side lanes.
Mastering Unified API Responses in ASP.NET Core
Unified API responses is a small design choice that pays off quickly in consistency, client handling, and cleaner controller code.
Indexers are one of those C# features people gloss over, so a plain-English refresher is genuinely useful.
How Clean Architecture Differs From Layered
The clean-architecture comparison is handy if you’re deciding whether your layer split is helping or just adding ceremony.
How To Track Entity Changes With EF Core | Audit Logging
EF Core audit logging is practical infrastructure work that teams often need but rarely implement well the first time.
How does C# differ from C or .NET?
The C# versus C/.NET explainer is beginner-friendly, but it also helps clear up terminology that still gets mixed up.
Selenium WebDriver is a solid test-automation overview, especially if your team still treats browser tests as an afterthought.
How to Write Tests in C# in 5 Steps & TDD Explained
The TDD article is a straightforward walkthrough, and that red-green-refactor cadence still deserves the repetition.
Top 30 Tricky C# Coding Interview Questions
The coding interview roundup is more practice than production advice, but it’s useful for sharpening fundamentals.
3 Ways to Create Middleware in ASP.NET Core (With Real Examples)
Three middleware patterns in ASP.NET Core is exactly the kind of concrete examples post that helps developers move faster.
Your First C# Program: Writing Hello World
Hello World is basic by design, yet it remains a useful on-ramp for newcomers and for onboarding content.
What are Minimal APIs in .NET, and When Should I Use Them?
Minimal APIs remains one of the most pragmatic ASP.NET Core topics, especially for teams aiming to reduce boilerplate.
Do You Need Coding Skills to Use Langflow?
The Langflow piece stands out because it lowers the barrier to AI app prototyping, with or without heavy coding.
5 .NET Tips That Quietly Separate Experts From Everyone Else
The .NET tips article sounds fluffy, but sometimes the best improvements are the small habits that experienced developers internalize.
Semantic Search with .NET Core and AI: Build Your Smart API from Scratch
Semantic search with .NET Core and OpenAI is the kind of end-to-end walkthrough people bookmark when building a real feature.
Jeff Fritz on .NET Aspire and CoPilot Agents
Jeff Fritz on Aspire and Copilot agents is worth a listen because it connects platform direction with how developers actually work.
Real-World Software Architecture in C#: Chapter 11 — Myths and Misinterpretations in .NET
The architecture myths piece is opinionated in a useful way, and it pushes back on oversimplified .NET advice.
Span Isn’t Just a Buzzword — It’s How Microsoft Cuts Allocations in .NET 8+
Span
Stop Looping: Use Dictionary<Guid, T> for Fast Entity Access in .NET
Dictionary
Belitsoft on ZLinq: Modern LINQ Performance for Legacy .NET Apps
ZLinq for legacy apps is interesting because it tries to bring modern LINQ performance without forcing a rewrite.
Memory-Efficient String Handling in .NET: StringBuilder vs Concatenation
StringBuilder versus concatenation is classic .NET guidance, but memory costs still make it worth revisiting.
Mastering Cancellation Tokens in .NET
Cancellation tokens are essential async hygiene, and this article is a good reminder to design for cancellation early.
InfluxDB with C# is a nice practical bonus for anyone working with metrics, telemetry, or time-series data.